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Synonyms

armed forces

American  

plural noun

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

armed forces British  

plural noun

  1. 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

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.

Mali's authorities also said they had partnered with the armed forces in neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso to carry out air strikes against the jihadists and separatists.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

The relevant piece of US law, the decades-old War Powers Resolution, makes certain requirements of a president "within sixty calendar days" of their use of US armed forces in combat.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

“Legitimately it’s one country—it belongs to us,” says Commandant Premanand Budhoo, commander of the Mauritian government’s paramilitary unit, which functions as the country’s armed forces.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

The Tuareg FLA said in a Facebook statement: "The city of Kidal has come under the control of our armed forces."

From Barron's • Apr. 25, 2026

Since good laws cannot exist where there are no good armies, and where good armies exist there must be good laws, I shall leave aside the arguments about laws and shall discuss the armed forces.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli

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.