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Synonyms

fighter

American  
[fahy-ter] / ˈfaɪ tər /

noun

  1. a boxer; pugilist.

  2. Military. an aircraft designed to seek out and destroy enemy aircraft in the air and to protect bomber aircraft.

  3. a person who fights, struggles, resists, etc.

  4. a person with the will, courage, determination, ability, or disposition to fight, struggle, resist, etc.

  5. an animal, as a dog, trained to fight or having the disposition to fight.

fighter British  
/ ˈfaɪtə /

noun

  1. a person who fights, esp a professional boxer

  2. a person who has determination

  3. military an armed aircraft designed for destroying other aircraft

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nonfighter noun

Etymology

Origin of fighter

before 1000; Middle English; Old English fēohtere. See fight, -er 1

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.

The F-15E is a dual-role fighter jet designed for both air-to-ground and air-to-air missions.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Central Command responded to Iranian media claims that Iran had shot down a jet fighter near the Strait of Hormuz.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

Hansen, who joined the CSA in 2009 following his career as a fighter pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force, will be the first non-American to fly around the Moon.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

He was once phenomenal but he's now a stepping stone for younger fighters and a shell of the fighter he once was.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Before they’d even had a chance to return to the airfield, Lilya saw that Raisa Belyaeva was dogfighting with a Luftwaffe fighter plane.

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.