armed forces

plural noun

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

called also armed services

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.
Germany has committed 100 billion euros to modernize its military, and Poland is building up its armed forces with a goal of amassing 300,000 troops. Alan Cullison, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026 Vietnam Of the 42,000 American Indians who served in the US armed forces during the Vietnam conflict (1964-75), 90 percent were volunteers. Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026 The legislation provides up to $5 million in nonlethal assistance for the struggling Haitian armed forces — the first congressional funding for the military since it was disbanded in the 1990s — and includes support for United Nations operations. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026 Kallas said these conditions could include demands that Russia return possibly thousands of children abducted from Ukraine and limits on the size of the Russian armed forces once the war is over. Lorne Cook, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Armed forces.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armed%20forces. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

armed forces

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

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