army

noun

ar·​my ˈär-mē How to pronounce army (audio)
plural armies
1
a
: a large organized body of armed personnel trained for war especially on land
b
: a unit capable of independent action and consisting usually of a headquarters, two or more corps, and auxiliary troops
c
often capitalized : the complete military organization of a nation for land warfare
2
: a great multitude
an army of birds
3
: a body of persons organized to advance a cause

Examples of army in a Sentence

the armies of Alexander the Great He left home and joined the army after he graduated from high school. The company employs an army of lawyers to handle its legal affairs. They sent in a whole army of trained technicians. The organization was founded by a dedicated army of volunteers.
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.
At times the mines were also under control of the Wazalendo, a militia allied with the Congolese army. David Yusufu Kibingila, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025 Mosaddegh was toppled from his seat in a 1953 coup led by the Iranian army and backed by the U.K. and the U.S. Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 21 May 2025 And while the nearby Financial District’s diminished army of commuters can’t be relied on to keep bars and restaurants afloat, it’s being gradually replaced by a full-time population of residents. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 21 May 2025 The Iranian's army chief of staff said the country's air defense capabilities have significantly increased, in preparedness for any violation of its airspace. Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for army

Word History

Etymology

Middle English armee, armye "host of armed men, naval fleet, military expedition," borrowed from Anglo-French armé, armee, from armer "to arm entry 2" + -ee, suffix of action or result (going back to Vulgar Latin *-āta, noun derivative from feminine of Latin -ātus, past participle ending of Latin first-conjugation verbs)

Note: Compare Spanish armada "military force, fleet of warships"—see armada.

First Known Use

circa 1522, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of army was circa 1522

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Cite this Entry

“Army.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/army. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

army

noun
ar·​my ˈär-mē How to pronounce army (audio)
plural armies
1
a
: a large body of men and women organized for land warfare
b
often capitalized : the complete military organization of a nation for land warfare
2
: a great number of persons or things
3
: a body of persons organized to promote an idea
Etymology

Middle English armee "army," from early French armee (same meaning), derived from Latin arma "weapons"

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