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.
Park rangers said Bils, who had been hitting balls to his dog using a golf putter, had briefly held up the club in a threatening manner while fleeing from the rangers. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 June 2025 Park rangers located a vehicle owned by the missing hikers, both from Ulster County, at a day-use parking lot the morning of Monday, June 2, Baxter State Park confirmed on a Facebook. Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 4 June 2025 Baxter State Park rangers began searching for them Monday morning after their vehicle was still found parked at the trailhead in the day-use parking lot, park officials said. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 3 June 2025 The body of Alec Campbell, a 38-year-old park resource ranger, was located in Neshaminy Creek at Tyler State Park on Sunday, May 25, the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said in a news release. Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 26 May 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 18 Jun. 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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