service member

noun

variants or less commonly servicemember

ˈsər-vəs-ˌmem-bər 

plural service members also servicemembers

: a person who is a member of the armed forces

Once Federal Judge Martin Barash administered the oath of allegiance and spoke about their new responsibilities and privileges, he singled out each service member by name (the only new citizens offered this recognition), and the crowd responded with standing ovations.

—Smithsonian

For three-quarters of a century, East Helena has proudly honored servicemembers with a monument in the heart of town. And now community leaders are looking for names of area veterans as they rebuild the monument with a new design.

—Tom Kuglin

Examples of service member in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Another service member was killed in an attack in Saudi Arabia, and six others died when their refueling tanker aircraft crashed in Iraq on March 12. —Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026

The death toll remains at 13 service members killed in combat. —Npr Staff, NPR, 4 Apr. 2026

Prior to word of the first service member's rescue, social media footage showed American drones, aircraft and helicopters flying over the mountainous region where a TV channel affiliated with Iranian state television said earlier that at least one pilot bailed out of the fighter jet. —Arkansas Online, 4 Apr. 2026

But the Pentagon also notified the House Armed Services Committee that the status of a second service member on the fighter jet was not known. —Sam Mednick, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for service member

• december
• dismember
• nonmember
• november
• remember
• september
• ember