soldier

noun

sol·dier | \ˈsōl-jər

Definition of soldier

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

3a : 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 , ˈsōl- \ : one who shirks work

soldier

verb

soldiered; soldiering\ ˈsōl-jə-riŋ ,

ˈsōlj-riŋ \

Definition of soldier (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : 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

Other Words from soldier Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about soldier

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from soldier

Noun

soldierly \ ˈsōl-jər-lē

\ adjective or adverb

soldiership \ ˈsōl-jər-ˌship

\ noun

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: Noun

While in Kenya, she was seen wearing a pith helmet — one that very closely resembles worn by colonial British soldiers in 19th-century Africa. — Marci Robin, Allure, "The Internet Is Comparing Melania Trump's Outfit to a Famous Fictional Nazi," 7 Oct. 2018 This year, soldiers in Europe resumed training on shoulder fired, FIM-92 Stingers for the first time in 15 years. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Puts More Pieces on Europe's WWIII Chessboard," 10 Sep. 2018 The parade's festivities were set to include soldiers in period uniforms and military aircraft, according to CNN. — Isabella Gomez, Teen Vogue, "The Mayor of Washington, D.C., Is Taking Credit for Getting Trump's Military Parade Cancelled," 17 Aug. 2018 He was liberated by Russian soldiers from Auschwitz on Jan. 27, 1945. — Natalie Dreier, ajc, "Anne Frank’s family immigration efforts thwarted by restrictive policies, World War II," 6 July 2018 Teenagers constantly roll around in old-fashioned roller skates and drink openly in bars; the town celebrates a holiday to commemorate a Confederate wife raped by Union soldiers during the Civil War. — Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, "Review: Amy Adams' 'Sharp Objects' needs to be sharper to make its point," 5 July 2018 Billoo has been a fierce critic of Israel’s government, denounced the recent killings by Israeli soldiers of more than 120 protesters in Gaza, and has described Zionism as racist. — Bob Egelko, SFChronicle.com, "Bay Area interfaith group will honor Muslim leader after all," 2 July 2018 Their idyll is soon interrupted by the arrival of an army of fierce mechanical dragons, flown by soldiers under the command of the handsome Izor. — Deborah Young, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms': Film Review | Shanghai 2018," 27 June 2018 Amir Puri, Commander of the Orev Company in the Paratroopers Brigade, the exercise was joined by combat soldiers from Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain. — Yaakov Lappin, Jewish Journal, "Israeli paratroopers conduct training drills on Polish soil," 26 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

But eventually, as guests wound up atop tables and chairs to show off their dance moves, their shoes were left aside—but Tiffany Haddish soldiered on. — Zachary Weiss, Vogue, "Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Lily Aldridge, and Joan Smalls Welcome Their Latest Campaign for Jimmy Choo," 9 Sep. 2018 Fans were drawn to Mr. Friend’s mix of reserve and vulnerability, his portrait of a man soldiering on despite serious PTSD. — Alexis Soloski, New York Times, "Rupert Friend Is Tired of Killing," 14 June 2018 The cost to cave was measured against the certainty that the company would soldier on with a chance at greatness. — Neil Senturia, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Why don't we heed risk warnings?," 9 July 2018 Founders Billy Lemmons and Bill Waldrip soldiered through the downturn, which also hit the oil and gas industry, and emerged in 2010 with a first fund of nearly $800 million. — Rye Druzin, San Antonio Express-News, "San Antonio energy investors pump billions into oil and gas projects," 2 July 2018 Meanwhile, senators soldiered on trying to broker a compromise. — Lisa Mascaro, The Seattle Times, "GOP leaders eye new bill on family separations at border," 25 June 2018 Instead, the Dodgers have soldiered on without him. — Si.com Staff, SI.com, "Nine Innings: Jason Heyward's Turning Point, Expansion Possibilities and Bryce Harper's Struggles," 18 June 2018 Despite the setback, Abramovitz soldiered on and received his bachelor's degree from McGill University. — refinery29.com, "How This Woman Hacked Her Boyfriend's Email & Sabotaged His Music Career," 18 June 2018 Yet McConnell has soldiered on and, somehow, kept winning — getting Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court, for example (and keeping Merrick Garland off it). — Jane Coaston, Vox, "Mitch McConnell just became the longest-serving Republican leader in history, even though his party hates him," 14 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'soldier.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.