ranger

noun

rang·​er ˈrān-jər How to pronounce ranger (audio)
1
a
: the keeper of a British royal park or forest
2
: one that ranges
3
a
: one of a body of organized armed men who range over a region especially to enforce the law
b
: a soldier specially trained in close-range fighting and in raiding tactics

Examples of ranger in a Sentence

She's now a ranger at a national forest in Montana. We were fortunate enough to get a tour from a ranger when we visited Yellowstone National Park.
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.
The second teenager immediately raised the alarm, prompting KWS rangers and emergency teams to respond to the incident. Michael Rios, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2025 Ullyot was the acting assistant to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for public affairs until February, when Sean Parnell, a former U.S. Army airborne ranger and ex-Senate candidate, was selected as the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson. Filip Timotija, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025 That’s when Virginian George Rogers Clark and his band of rangers seized the British post of Kaskaskia by the Mississippi River on July 4, 1778, marching across Illinois from Fort Massac by the Ohio River. Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2025 The potential loss of Forest Service rangers would reduce security at those natural areas and could lead to additional cuts to their funds and the sale of U.S. public lands, said Kelley, founder of the Gathering Growth Foundation, an organization focused on archiving notable U.S. forests and trees. Julia Gomez, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ranger

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ranger was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Ranger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ranger. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

ranger

noun
rang·​er ˈrān-jər How to pronounce ranger (audio)
1
2
a
: a member of a body of troops who range over a region
b
: a soldier in an army unit with special training (as parachute jumping and scuba diving) for making surprise attacks and raids

More from Merriam-Webster on ranger

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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