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 aircraft carrier was one of more than 30 surface combatants to take part, along with five submarines and nearly 200 aircraft. — Peter Suciu, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

The vessel, with a displacement of around 14,500 tons, is expected to become one of the most capable surface combatants ever operated by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 1 Aug. 2026

By September 1 the total number of combatants numbered between 10,000 and 20,000. — Elijah Tanall, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026

Meanwhile, more countries are fighting Iran or its proxies, representing further escalation as the conflict draws in more combatants. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 July 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