armed forces

plural noun

Definition of armed forces

: the combined military, naval, and air forces of a nation

— called also armed services

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about armed forces

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Synonyms for armed forces

Synonyms

colors, military, service, troops

Examples of armed forces in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This year’s midterms included a raft of women emphasizing their time in the armed forces. — Celeste Katz, Glamour, "Who’s In and Who’s Out of the 2020 Presidential Race—So Far," 3 Jan. 2019 For years, schools, workplaces, and even the armed forces have banned these natural hairstyles. — Nadra Nittle, Vox, "Bantu knots are the latest natural hairstyle at the center of a workplace dispute," 20 Dec. 2018 The armed forces dominate the gold trade and the government has shown no political will to contain the devastation of pristine areas, the report said. — Kejal Vyas |, WSJ, "Desperate Venezuelans Dig Up Paradise in Search of Gold," 20 Nov. 2018 During this time, millions of Koreans suffered under military rule, forced labor, and forced conscription into Japan’s armed forces. — Alex Ward, Vox, "BTS, world’s biggest K-pop band, was dropped from Japanese TV over a nuclear bomb T-shirt," 9 Nov. 2018 Female soldiers are more likely than men to experience isolation, as women make up only 16 percent of the armed forces. — Jim Rendon, Marie Claire, "When Female Veterans Return Home," 29 Oct. 2018 On the ground in Syria, armed forces liberated Eastern Ghouta after driving out the remaining armed groups from Douma, the Al Mayadeen television network reported, citing a statement by the Syrian Army. — Andrew J Barden, Bloomberg.com, "Taking Stock of the U.S.-Led Missile Strikes on Syria: Q&A," 14 Apr. 2018 America spends more than 3% of the world’s biggest GDP on its armed forces, and the rest of the Western world scarcely breaks 2%. — Tony Abbott, WSJ, "An Ally Sizes Up Donald Trump," 13 July 2018 Mr Sharif’s return snuffs out any hope of a reconciliation between the PML-N and the armed forces. — The Economist, "Pakistan’s former prime minister embraces jail to rally his party," 12 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'armed forces.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.