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

To do that, architects opened up the space, creating wide walkways and varied seating options with a mix of high-top, standard tables and six-person booths, to encourage service members to hang out and relax after they’re done eating. —Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026

The multi-sport event is a Paralympic-style competition for wounded service members and veterans. —Kirsty Hatcher, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026

Every sale generated revenue for causes that almost every Floridian could agree with; for example, the veterans plate created in 1989 helped fund nursing homes for aging service members. —Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026

In 2003, mail took an average 11 to 14 days to reach service members deployed to the Iraq war, according to a Government Accountability Office report. —Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for service member

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