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

Zumba, Brinio Urena, Morgan Chambers, and Jacinth Bailey, former service members in the United States Navy, have all pleaded guilty to charges related to the same scheme. —Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026

The carrier strike group, which brought roughly 5,700 additional service members, joined three destroyers and three littoral combat ships that were already in the region. —Konstantin Toropin, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026

Among the Democrats who participated in the video, Kelly is the only former service member to reach active-duty retirement, which requires 20 years of service. —Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 3 Feb. 2026

Parents of service members can potentially gain citizenship or legal status through programs that provide temporary deportation relief or expedited naturalization options. —Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 31 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for service member

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