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.
Oklahoma With the federal government shut down, National Park rangers are not present at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. The Npr Network, NPR, 22 Oct. 2025 Anglers taking a grass carp should register their catch with the lakes ranger at (479) 876-9581 or the fisheries staff, (479) 855-5068. Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2025 While the visitor centers inside the park are closed, the Fall River Visitor Center, which is right outside, is open without rangers. Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025 At the trailhead, a ranger clocked us with an expression that sat somewhere between curiosity and concern. Junnelle Hogen, Outside, 19 Oct. 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 23 Oct. 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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