army
Americannoun
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the military forces of a nation, exclusive of the navy and in some countries the air force.
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(in large military land forces) a unit consisting typically of two or more corps and a headquarters.
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a large body of persons trained and armed for war.
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any body of persons organized for any purpose.
an army of census takers.
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a very large number or group of something; a great multitude; a host.
the army of the unemployed.
noun
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the military land forces of a nation
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a military unit usually consisting of two or more corps with supporting arms and services
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(modifier) of, relating to, or characteristic of an army
army rations
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any large body of people united for some specific purpose
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a large number of people, animals, etc; multitude
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of army
1350–1400; Middle English armee < Middle French < Latin armāta. Cf. Armada
Explanation
An army is an organized group of fighters, especially a country's official military force. When a country goes to war, it sends an army to fight. An army is typically defined as fighting on land, while a navy battles at sea, and some countries make this even more clear by distinguishing their "Land Army" from their "Air Army." The 14th century meaning of army was "armed expedition," from the Old French armée and the Latin root armata, "armed, equipped, or in arms."
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.
See Examples For:
Chad's decision to leave the ICC after 20 years comes amid allegations by national and international organisations of Ndjamena's suspected involvement in the war in neighbouring Sudan between the army and paramilitaries.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
The Greek army was orphaned, without provisions or protection, a very long way from home.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
It is not unreasonable to believe some of these groups are being assisted by military personnel, Bashir Galma, a security analyst and retired army major, told the BBC.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
After winning bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Lamboria became the first female boxer inducted into the army, joining the Corps of Military Police.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Dad always said Mom packed enough to feed an army.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
“Other armies have certainly been parasitic,” Mr. O’Connell writes, though most have had a separate political motivation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
All this was despite the economic boost from the World Cup, which has brought armies of big-spending fans to multiple American big cities.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
But the tide has turned back in favour of the military, analysts say, after China threw support behind it and Beijing-backed truces were signed with two of the most powerful ethnic minority armies.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
If either he or Boll hoped Musk’s endorsement would boost the film’s profile, they’ll be sorely mistaken: Bot armies don’t pay to rent movies.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026
By summer’s end, the Allies forced the German armies back across France and Belgium and liberated Paris.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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.
