armed forces

plural noun

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

called also armed services

Examples of armed forces in a Sentence

our nation's armed forces are stationed throughout the world
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Untold thousands of Puerto Ricans have served, and died, in our armed forces. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026 Israel and the United States armed forces stand on the side of democratic values — protecting civilians, defending sovereignty and confronting those who use terror as a strategy. Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026 The expatriate population, which makes up roughly 90% of residents, watched Emirati armed forces—drawn entirely from the country's 10 percent native population—fight to protect them. Mina Al-Oraibi, Time, 14 Apr. 2026 Each year, approximately a hundred senior officers from across all branches of the armed forces enroll in world-class courses of study at schools such as Harvard, Princeton, and Georgetown as part of the Senior Service College Fellows Program. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for armed forces

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of armed forces was in 1572

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Armed forces.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armed%20forces. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

armed forces

plural noun
: the military, naval, and air forces of a nation

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