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

• battalion
• troops
• soldiers

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

Wear it in pragmatic neutral tones such as khaki or army grey, or make a statement in pink or this fall’s signature shade, burgundy. —Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2025

Toyota went full-court press on the project, employing an army of nearly 4,000 designers, engineers, technicians, and other staff to develop a clean-sheet luxury car capable of beating the best sedans on sale at everything from aerodynamics to interior noise. —Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2025

With Istredd’s sacrifice on the other side of the portal complete, Yennefer’s army teleports behind Vilgefortz, and with the advantage lost, the mage retreats to fight another day. —Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025

Blair's son could be seen going as Deadpool, a skeleton, an army man and even a police officer. —Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025

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"