army

noun

ar·​my ˈär-mē 

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

Synonyms

• array
• battalion
• host
• legion

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

The group included four women and six children and was led by a former Cuban rebel army captain, Rómulo Juan Delgado y Fernández. —Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2024

The movie’s thesis was that Byzantium had been irrevocably undermined even before Ottoman armies conquered it in 1453, its religious culture and resolve eroded by the individualism of the encroaching West. —Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024

Police also found weapons, including handguns, rifles and army knives, as well as a large amount of cash, according to Hermosillo. —Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 10 Apr. 2024

Cliver Alcala, a 62-year-old Venezuelan army general who twice tried to mount coups against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, was sentenced to more than 21 years in prison after admitting to providing weapons to the Revoluationary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 9 Apr. 2024

Using their increasingly effective drone army, the Ukrainians have made a good start at the former task, only to encounter bizarre opposition from the Biden administration, which supposedly wants to stop Russian oil exports through sanctions. —Robert Zubrin, National Review, 7 Apr. 2024

The army green shade is perfect for transitioning from winter to spring weather, but if your wardrobe is calling for something different, don’t worry — there are 20 other colors to choose from. —Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2024

Advertisement Critics question whether a group with ties to the army can adequately investigate its actions. —Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024

Parcels dropped by air, meanwhile, end up in border areas near the Israeli army or in the sea, or lead to people fighting over them. —Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024

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

Phrases Containing army

• army ant
• general of the army
• sergeant major of the army
• standing army

Kids Definition

army

noun

ar·​my ˈär-mē 

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"