combatant

noun

com·​bat·​ant kəm-ˈba-tᵊnt 

also ˈkäm-bə-tənt

: one that is engaged in or ready to engage in combat

combatant adjective

Examples of combatant in a Sentence

Britain was a main combatant in World War II.

Recent Examples on the Web

The ministry doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures. —Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026

The ministry doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures. —Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026

When this month the remains of the 32 Cuban combatants killed in Venezuela were brought back to the island, the government pulled out all the stops to give them a hero’s welcome. —Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 29 Jan. 2026

But the country’s telecommunications infrastructure has eroded since the civil war started in April 2023, as combatants have continued to target this infrastructure. —Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for combatant

• noncombatant
• supernatant
• patent

Kids Definition

combatant

noun

com·​bat·​ant kəm-ˈbat-ᵊnt 

also ˈkäm-bət-

: one that is engaged in or ready to engage in combat

combatant adjective