standing army

noun

Synonyms of standing armynext
: a permanent army of paid soldiers

Examples of standing army in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Many Americans feared and distrusted the idea of a standing army into the first half of the nineteenth century. Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 25 May 2026 The Framers warned us about the dangers of a standing army in a democratic republic and its potential misuse in domestic affairs. Angus King, Time, 7 Apr. 2026 Within days, President Abraham Lincoln called on states loyal to the Union to send troops to bolster a standing army of only 16,000 and put down the South's growing rebellion. Bill Steiden, Des Moines Register, 24 Mar. 2026 How a country founded in fear of a standing army came to think of its military as a bulwark of American democracy is the subject of my work. Kori Schake, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for standing army

Word History

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of standing army was in 1603

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Cite this Entry

“Standing army.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standing%20army. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.

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