plural enemies
1
: one that is antagonistic to another
especially
: one seeking to injure, overthrow, or confound an opponent
2
: something harmful or deadly
alcohol was his greatest enemy
3
a
: a military adversary
b
: a hostile unit or force
Examples of enemy in a Sentence
He made a lot of enemies during the course of his career.
Tradition is the enemy of progress.
Recent Examples on the Web
How the missile survives enemy defenses Unlike hypersonic weapons that rely on extreme speed, the NCM-LCM survives by remaining difficult to detect.
—
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 16 June 2026
But there were limits to what the British believed heroism would look like in the face of the enemy.
—Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
Anyone in Iran today whose voice echoes in line with the enemy, the ground beneath their feet is Tel Aviv and their head is Netanyahu.
—Laura Secor, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
The enemy had finally arrived, but in homemade barges and spoke the same language as the soldiers.
—Marzio G. Mian, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for enemy
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Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 16 June 2026
But there were limits to what the British believed heroism would look like in the face of the enemy.
—Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
Anyone in Iran today whose voice echoes in line with the enemy, the ground beneath their feet is Tel Aviv and their head is Netanyahu.
—Laura Secor, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
The enemy had finally arrived, but in homemade barges and spoke the same language as the soldiers.
—Marzio G. Mian, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for enemy
Cite this Entry
“Enemy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enemy. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
enemy
noun
en·e·my
ˈen-ə-mē 
plural enemies
1
: one that tries to hurt or overthrow or that seeks the failure of another
2
: something that harms
3
a
: a nation with which a country is at war
b
: a military force or a person belonging to such a nation
Etymology
Middle English enemi "enemy," from early French enemi (same meaning), from Latin inimicus (same meaning), from in- "not" and amicus "friend"
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