armed forces
Americanplural noun
plural noun
Etymology
Origin of armed forces
First recorded in 1685–95
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 UK's armed forces will have to "dial back" training and operations if they do not receive more cash than is currently being offered, the chief of the defence staff has warned.
From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026
The desired link at UFC Freedom 250 is between the armed forces and the MMA athletes.
From Slate • Jun. 16, 2026
Sunday's six-hour operation, which saw commandos fast-roping from a helicopter on to the tanker and was supported by the Royal Air Force, was the first of its kind carried out by UK armed forces.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
But from lived experience, we know it’s very large, and I know personally that it’s especially large in the enlisted ranks of our armed forces.
From Slate • Jun. 14, 2026
“Do you mean that he is impersonating a member of the armed forces of this country?”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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.
