service member

noun

variants or less commonly servicemember
ˈsər-vəs-ˌmem-bər How to pronounce service member (audio)
plural service members also servicemembers
: a person who is a member of the armed forces
Once Federal Judge Martin Barash administered the oath of allegiance and spoke about their new responsibilities and privileges, he singled out each service member by name (the only new citizens offered this recognition), and the crowd responded with standing ovations.—Smithsonian
For three-quarters of a century, East Helena has proudly honored servicemembers with a monument in the heart of town. And now community leaders are looking for names of area veterans as they rebuild the monument with a new design.—Tom Kuglin

Examples of service member in a Sentence

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.
His initial mission focused on protecting service members, developing drones to clear buildings instead of people. — John Werner, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 An agency within the Department of Defense is tasked with locating and identifying these service members. — Hope McKenney, NPR, 1 Aug. 2026 Members of Task Force Bastogne, currently serving under Operation Ardent Vanguard, will be the first service members to move in. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 July 2026 The death of 18 American service members during the conflict has also prompted strong reactions, with lawmakers demanding an immediate end to the hostilities. — Tiago Ventura, Time, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for service member

Word History

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of service member was in 1955

Rhymes for service member

See All Rhymes for service member

Browse Nearby Words

service medal
service member
service module
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Service member.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/service%20member. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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