soldier

1 of 2

noun

sol·​dier ˈsōl-jər How to pronounce soldier (audio)
1
a
: one engaged in military service and especially in the army
b
: an enlisted man or woman
c
: a skilled warrior
2
: a militant leader, follower, or worker
3
a
: one of a caste of wingless sterile termites usually differing from workers in larger size and head and long jaws
b
: one of a type of worker ants distinguished by exceptionally large head and jaws
4
ˈsō-jər How to pronounce soldier (audio)
ˈsōl-
: one who shirks work
soldierly adjective or adverb
soldiership noun

soldier

2 of 2

verb

soldiered; soldiering ˈsōl-jə-riŋ How to pronounce soldier (audio)
ˈsōlj-riŋ

intransitive verb

1
a
: to serve as a soldier
b
: to behave in a soldierly manner
c
: to push doggedly forward
usually used with on
soldiered on to the end
2
: to make a pretense of working while really loafing

Examples of soldier in a Sentence

Noun Many soldiers were wounded in combat. one of the goals of war is to keep as many soldiers as possible from being killed
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.
Noun
The North Korean troop deployment is threatening to expand the almost three-year war, with Ukraine and the U.S. saying that some of the soldiers have already begun engaging in battle on the front lines. Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024 The footage shows a local in an orange shirt, guiding advancing Russian troops to a basement where Ukrainian soldiers were hiding. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024
Verb
The festival initially planned on soldiering through the weather Friday, as the lots were opened in anticipation of the fest that afternoon. Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2024 Where some wilted in the face of so much public scrutiny, however, Taylor soldiered bravely on. Rob Ledonne, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for soldier 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English soudeour, from Anglo-French soudeer, soudeour mercenary, from soudee shilling's worth, wage, from sou, soud shilling, from Late Latin solidus solidus

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1647, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of soldier was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near soldier

Cite this Entry

“Soldier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soldier. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

soldier

1 of 2 noun
sol·​dier ˈsōl-jər How to pronounce soldier (audio)
1
a
: a person in military service and especially in the army
b
: an enlisted person
2
: a worker in something strongly believed in
3
: a termite or ant with a large head and jaws that is a member of a caste that protects the colony
soldierly adjective

soldier

2 of 2 verb
soldiered; soldiering ˌsōlj-(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce soldier (audio)
: to serve as or act like a soldier

More from Merriam-Webster on soldier

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