fighter

noun

fight·​er ˈfī-tər 

: one that fights: such as

a(1)

: warrior, soldier

(2)

: a pugnacious or game individual

(3)

: boxer entry 1 sense 1

b

: an airplane of high speed and maneuverability with armament designed to destroy enemy aircraft

Synonyms of fighter

• warrior
• soldier

Examples of fighter in a Sentence

the debate whether more fighters are needed to bring order to that war-torn country

a program at the community center for training local youths as fighters

Recent Examples on the Web

The maiden flight of the first Gripen E fighter aircraft produced in Brazil has been successfully completed. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2026

Some of the aircraft included in the count may have been returned to service, including eight F-15 Strike Eagle fighter jets that sustained light damage in an Iranian strike on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan, in September. — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026

Earlier this week, Yemen's military said its forces had uprooted Houthi fighters from the areas around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a Red Sea shipping chokepoint, and the port city of Mocha. — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

That month, around 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace, and three Russian fighter jets crossed into Estonian airspace before being shot down and chased out, respectively, by NATO forces. — Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing fighter

• fighter-bomber
• freedom fighter
• street fighter

Rhymes for fighter

• biter
• brighter
• lighter
• miter
• niter
• reiter
• righter
• slighter
• tighter
• titer
• titre
• whiter

Kids Definition

fighter

noun

fight·​er ˈfīt-ər 

: one that fights:

a

: warrior, soldier

b

: boxer entry 1

c

: a fast airplane armed with weapons for destroying enemy aircraft