armed forces

See more synonyms for armed forces on Thesaurus.com

plural noun

military, naval, and air forces, especially of a nation or of a number of nations.

Origin of armed forces

First recorded in 1685–95

Also called armed services.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for armed forces

military, armament, service

Examples from the Web for armed forces

Contemporary Examples of armed forces

An armed-forces veteran and a father of five, the victim, Officer Deriek Crouse, had been with campus police about four years.
Former Virginia Tech Professor: The Rising Toll of America's Gun Culture
Roland Lazenby
December 9, 2011

British Dictionary definitions for armed forces

armed forces

pl n

the military forces of a nation or nations, including the army, navy, air force, marines, etc

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