armed forces

American  

plural noun

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

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armed forces British  

plural noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of armed forces

First recorded in 1685–95

Example Sentences

Some analysts say Xi’s latest crackdown on corruption and disloyalty in the armed forces marks the most aggressive dismantling of China’s military leadership since the Mao Zedong era.

From The Wall Street Journal

But he will then have to relinquish his command of the armed forces.

From BBC

“I can’t imagine deploying the military to Minneapolis will change much, given the current reality that the city is already overwhelmingly occupied by armed forces,” Garvey said.

From Salon

"We are incredibly proud of our armed forces and their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten," he added.

From Barron's

Taiwanese military investigators, law-enforcement authorities and prosecutors interviewed for this article described a trend in China’s effort: the increasing use of messaging apps and online loan offers to target low-ranking members of Taiwan’s armed forces.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• military
• troops