fighter
Americannoun
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a boxer; pugilist.
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Military. an aircraft designed to seek out and destroy enemy aircraft in the air and to protect bomber aircraft.
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a person who fights, struggles, resists, etc.
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a person with the will, courage, determination, ability, or disposition to fight, struggle, resist, etc.
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an animal, as a dog, trained to fight or having the disposition to fight.
noun
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a person who fights, esp a professional boxer
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a person who has determination
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military an armed aircraft designed for destroying other aircraft
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fighter
before 1000; Middle English; Old English fēohtere. See fight, -er 1
Explanation
Someone who battles or brawls with other people is a fighter. Some fighters, like boxers, do it professionally, while others just have a tendency to fight. If you have a habit of getting into scuffles or fistfights, you're a fighter, and when you watch a boxing match, you might pick one of the two fighters to root for. An animal might also be described as a fighter: lions are natural fighters, and a fish struggling hard on the end of a hook is a fighter. Other fighters work heroically for a belief or ideal: "She was a fighter in the struggle for civil rights."
Vocabulary lists containing fighter
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Fighter Paddy Pimblett believes his ego was part of the reason he lost to Justin Gaethje in their interim UFC lightweight title fight in January.
From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026
"It's a golden opportunity to see how you measure up to adversaries from the entire world," said Julien Thomas, a 23-year-old Parisian who is one of the top French players of Street Fighter 6.
From Barron's • Oct. 11, 2025
Fighter jets from the UK, France, Germany and Denmark are all taking part in flying air defence missions over Poland in a bid to bolster the alliance's eastern flank.
From BBC • Sep. 19, 2025
The F-35 jet was attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 125, also known as the “Rough Raiders,” according to the Navy.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 31, 2025
The 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment was back on its feet.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
