ranger

noun

rang·​er ˈrān-jər How to pronounce ranger (audio)
1
a
: the keeper of a British royal park or forest
2
: one that ranges
3
a
: one of a body of organized armed men who range over a region especially to enforce the law
b
: a soldier specially trained in close-range fighting and in raiding tactics

Examples of ranger in a Sentence

She's now a ranger at a national forest in Montana. We were fortunate enough to get a tour from a ranger when we visited Yellowstone National Park.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Shaffer, who works at a local hotel, added the other elk had one of his tines broken, which was later picked up by a ranger and is now on display at the Mammoth Visitor Center. Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025 The two agencies then collaborated with the Washoe County Sheriff's Office, Forensic Science Division, and rangers from Black Rock City, which hosts the festival each year, to set up a perimeter, collect evidence, and interview other participants in what is now an ongoing investigation. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025 The train was custom built using Land Cruiser parts by a former game ranger named Mark Butcher, a Zimbabwean who runs a safari company called Imvelo that operates in and around Hwange National Park, Africa’s fourth largest, southeast of Victoria Falls. The Editors, Outside, 31 Aug. 2025 Pilot adventures include gorilla trekking in Uganda with wildlife ranger Denis Onyiko and his team, exploring rewilding efforts in Argentina, and uncovering biodiversity from coast to canopy in Costa Rica. Cassidy Randall, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ranger

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ranger was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Ranger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ranger. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

ranger

noun
rang·​er ˈrān-jər How to pronounce ranger (audio)
1
2
a
: a member of a body of troops who range over a region
b
: a soldier in an army unit with special training (as parachute jumping and scuba diving) for making surprise attacks and raids

More from Merriam-Webster on ranger

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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