army
Americannoun
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armies
plural
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the military forces of a nation, exclusive of the navy and in some countries the air force.
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(in large military land forces) a unit consisting typically of two or more corps and a headquarters.
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a large body of persons trained and armed for war.
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any body of persons organized for any purpose.
an army of census takers.
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a very large number or group of something; a great multitude; a host.
the army of the unemployed.
noun
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the military land forces of a nation
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a military unit usually consisting of two or more corps with supporting arms and services
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(modifier) of, relating to, or characteristic of an army
army rations
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any large body of people united for some specific purpose
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a large number of people, animals, etc; multitude
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of army
1350–1400; Middle English armee < Middle French < Latin armāta. Cf. Armada
Explanation
An army is an organized group of fighters, especially a country's official military force. When a country goes to war, it sends an army to fight. An army is typically defined as fighting on land, while a navy battles at sea, and some countries make this even more clear by distinguishing their "Land Army" from their "Air Army." The 14th century meaning of army was "armed expedition," from the Old French armée and the Latin root armata, "armed, equipped, or in arms."
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.
See Examples For:
Academy life was fueling Stupnikov’s own disenchantment with the army, even as he excelled in sports and schoolwork.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
One Reddit post claimed Winston Lee was now serving in the South Korean army.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Who has an army of trolls who fill up her mentions every day with invective.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
Somalia faces uncertainty regarding funding for the African Union mission, AUSSOM, which is the leading force supporting the Somali army.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
The army clerk looked at me across the counter.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
The case highlights a paradox: while Europe's armies are bolstering their protection against espionage and hybrid threats, the vehicles they use can collect sensitive information.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
"They have armies, they have the police, they have the powers," says Massicella, 18, as she marches through Lille.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
If these richest Americans on average have trouble consistently beating the S&P 500, given the armies of high-paid investment professionals helping to manage their finances, what makes you think you can do any better?
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
Campbell’s acquired Rao’s, and there are armies of people online who remain convinced that something must have changed, despite Rao’s FAQ explicitly assuring worried customers that the company won’t “touch the sauce.”
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
I say, then, that the armies with which a prince defends his state are made up of his own troops, or mercenaries, or auxiliaries, or of mixed troops.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
