armed forces

Definition of armed forcesnext
as in troops
the combined army, air force, and navy of a nation our nation's armed forces are stationed throughout the world

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of armed forces Untold thousands of Puerto Ricans have served, and died, in our armed forces. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026 Israel and the United States armed forces stand on the side of democratic values — protecting civilians, defending sovereignty and confronting those who use terror as a strategy. Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026 The expatriate population, which makes up roughly 90% of residents, watched Emirati armed forces—drawn entirely from the country's 10 percent native population—fight to protect them. Mina Al-Oraibi, Time, 14 Apr. 2026 Each year, approximately a hundred senior officers from across all branches of the armed forces enroll in world-class courses of study at schools such as Harvard, Princeton, and Georgetown as part of the Senior Service College Fellows Program. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for armed forces

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Armed forces.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/armed%20forces. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on armed forces

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster