service member

noun

variants or less commonly servicemember
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
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.
Active duty service members’ social media accounts have been under closer scrutiny this month. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Sep. 2025 This was followed by the arrival of soldiers in Vietnam-era uniforms from the 101st Airborne Division, out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, one of the only Army bases, other than Fort Bragg, where service members are more likely than the average American to die of a drug overdose. Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025 The program also extends support to certain surviving family members, including spouses, dependent children, and even parents of deceased service members. Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025 The Pentagon is sifting through service members’ social media posts, and several military members have been temporarily suspended. Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 18 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for service member

Word History

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of service member was in 1955

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Cite this Entry

“Service member.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/service%20member. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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