armed forces

plural noun

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

called also armed services

Synonyms of armed forces

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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.
Qatar’s armed forces captured and are holding three Iranian pilots who went missing in March when their jets were downed, the Missing Persons Committee of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff said. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026 Bagherzadeh, who leads Iran’s armed forces’ missing persons search committee, earlier claimed that Qatar had held the three crew members for months after their planes were shot down early in the war. — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026 One system cannot counter every drone Military analysts explain that the problem goes beyond Taiwan and reflects a bigger challenge for armed forces trying to respond to evolving drone technology. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026 The country’s armed forces didn’t immediately respond to a CNBC request for further details of the incident. — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 14 Aug. 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

Rhymes for armed forces

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Browse Nearby Words

armed and dangerous
armed forces
armed guard
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Cite this Entry

“Armed forces.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armed%20forces. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

armed forces

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

More from Merriam-Webster on armed forces

Nglish: Translation of armed forces for Spanish Speakers

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