military
Americanadjective
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of, for, or pertaining to the army or armed forces, often as distinguished from the navy.
from civilian to military life.
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of, for, or pertaining to war.
military preparedness.
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of or relating to soldiers.
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befitting, characteristic of, or noting a soldier.
a military bearing.
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following the life of a soldier.
a military career.
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performed by soldiers.
military duty.
noun
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militaries,
plural
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military
plural
adjective
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of or relating to the armed forces (esp the army), warlike matters, etc
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of, characteristic of, or about soldiers
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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militarinessnoun
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antimilitaryadjective
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nonmilitaryadjective
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premilitaryadjective
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promilitaryadjective
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pseudomilitaryadjective
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quasi-militaryadjective
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supermilitaryadjective
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unmilitaryadjective
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militarilyadverb
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pseudomilitarilyadverb
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unmilitarilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of military
1575–85; < Latin mīlitāri ( s ), equivalent to mīlit- (stem of mīles ) soldier + -āris -ary
Explanation
Ten, hut! So you'd like the definition of military? Yes, Sir! The adjective military is used to describe anything related to the armed forces or soldiers. Stemming from the Latin word for "soldier," military is a word that goes hand in hand with war. It's the military that protects a country's interests, lead by generals and powered by brave soldiers. When used as an adjective, military describes anything that's related to, well, the military: salutes, campaigns, uniforms, etc.
Vocabulary lists containing military
Veterans Day Vocabulary
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Fighting Words: Belli and Milit
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Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A Date That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)
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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:
The initial housing consisted of old military barracks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Air Base 101, the military site attacked on Saturday, is part of the Diori Hamani airport complex.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
"These injuries were most likely caused by accidents, falls, hard blows, or other impacts linked to an active lifestyle, whether through hunting, military training, or other demanding activities," said Hashesh.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026
The Israeli military, contacted by AFP for comment on Mohammed's death, said at the time that soldiers opened fire during an altercation while deployed in Al-Rihaya.
From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026
The children were likewise worn out and went to bed with only minor griping about the lumpy mattresses and thin, scratchy military blankets.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
For decades, Chinese leaders have worried about the country’s heavy reliance on imported crude, most of which transits through straits that the U.S. or other militaries could seek to block in a conflict.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
Boeing makes the Apache attack helicopter for militaries around the world.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
The companies have "long-standing ties to western governments and militaries", the paper explains.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
As long-range drones become increasingly crucial to modern warfare, militaries must develop new ways to protect them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Australia and Fiji said other Pacific countries with militaries can join the alliance.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
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.
