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
Firing upon shipwrecked combatants is a violation of the Geneva Conventions and the Department of Defense’s own Law of War Manual.
—
Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 6 Dec. 2025
The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but says that nearly half the dead have been women and children.
—CBS News, 6 Dec. 2025
The military response was violent, resulting in the deaths of judges, hostages, and combatants, and marked a period of intense political tension in Colombia.
—Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
These staffers have, for example, traveled to reintegration camps to speak to former combatants in verifying United Nations data on the number of weapons surrendered and destroyed, among other accord targets.
—Josefina Echavarria Alvarez, The Conversation, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for combatant
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Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 6 Dec. 2025
The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but says that nearly half the dead have been women and children.
—CBS News, 6 Dec. 2025
The military response was violent, resulting in the deaths of judges, hostages, and combatants, and marked a period of intense political tension in Colombia.
—Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
These staffers have, for example, traveled to reintegration camps to speak to former combatants in verifying United Nations data on the number of weapons surrendered and destroyed, among other accord targets.
—Josefina Echavarria Alvarez, The Conversation, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for combatant
Cite this Entry
“Combatant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combatant. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
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combatant
noun
com·bat·ant
kəm-ˈbat-ᵊnt
also ˈkäm-bət-
: one that is engaged in or ready to engage in combat
combatant
adjective
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