Synonyms

active service

British

noun

military duty in an operational area

"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

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.

Such decisions had historically been the preserve of the presidency, not an active service chief.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026

Just 18 of its fleet of around 34 planes are in active service, according to officials.

From Barron's • Dec. 23, 2025

SINGAPORE—China has put its largest and most sophisticated aircraft carrier into active service, boosting Beijing’s quest to create a formidable oceangoing navy that can challenge U.S. power in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

"I write to advise that, after careful consideration, I have decided to continue in regular active service as a United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit," Wynn wrote.

From Salon • Dec. 16, 2024

Now that he was back in active service the “honorable war wound” was completely forgotten.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023