service member

noun

plural service members also servicemembers
: a person who is a member of the armed forces
Once Federal Judge Martin Barash administered the oath of allegiance and spoke about their new responsibilities and privileges, he singled out each service member by name (the only new citizens offered this recognition), and the crowd responded with standing ovations.—Smithsonian
For three-quarters of a century, East Helena has proudly honored servicemembers with a monument in the heart of town. And now community leaders are looking for names of area veterans as they rebuild the monument with a new design.—Tom Kuglin

Examples of service member in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Buried under the rubble were 241 American service members, including 220 Marines, 18 Navy sailors and three Army soldiers. — Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026 The missing service members, described as non-combatant aviation technicians that were supporting the GSF mission, were ambushed by gangs on October 18, Salvadoran officials have said. — Michael Rios, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026 Military and private aircraft bring in service members and celebrities. — John Lauritsen, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 About 45,000 Japanese troops and 12,000 American service members are participating in the biennial Keen Sword 27. — Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for service member

Word History

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of service member was in 1955

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Cite this Entry

“Service member.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/service%20member. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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