armed forces

plural noun

Synonyms of armed forcesnext
: the combined military, naval, and air forces of a nation

called also armed services

Synonyms of armed forces

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Examples of armed forces in a Sentence

our nation's armed forces are stationed throughout the world
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.
Bosse said the deployment brings stability to the site and reaffirmed the city’s support for the German armed forces. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026 There were firefighters, who had mostly come from Caracas, and a group of Salvadoran armed forces standing in a long row. — Armando Ledezma, New Yorker, 30 June 2026 The leader is the head of state, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and has authority over the national police and morality police. — Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026 Added to this, Whitehall has historically faced criticism for treating the armed forces as a budget piggy bank to be raided whenever public funds run short. — David Szondy july 01, New Atlas, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for armed forces

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of armed forces was in 1572

Rhymes for armed forces

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Browse Nearby Words

armed and dangerous
armed forces
armed guard
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Cite this Entry

“Armed forces.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armed%20forces. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

armed forces

plural noun
: the military, naval, and air forces of a nation

More from Merriam-Webster on armed forces

Nglish: Translation of armed forces for Spanish Speakers

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