army
Americannoun
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armies
plural
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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:
They were supplied to the army by Hertz Norge, which is indirectly owned by the Chinese auto group Geely.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
Another defector, Russian army pilot Maksim Kuzminov, had flown his Mi-8 attack helicopter into Ukraine the previous year and turned it over to Kyiv for a $500,000 reward.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Who has an army of trolls who fill up her mentions every day with invective.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
One Reddit post claimed Winston Lee was now serving in the South Korean army.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
The failure of the Nivelle offensive was so demoralizing, it almost destroyed the fighting spirit of the French army.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
The case highlights a paradox: while Europe's armies are bolstering their protection against espionage and hybrid threats, the vehicles they use can collect sensitive information.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
"They have armies, they have the police, they have the powers," says Massicella, 18, as she marches through Lille.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
If these richest Americans on average have trouble consistently beating the S&P 500, given the armies of high-paid investment professionals helping to manage their finances, what makes you think you can do any better?
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
The group’s anti-drone software is also pitched as a tool for the protection of high-ranking officials, as well as for use by armies engaged in conflicts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Colonial leaders had to assemble their own armies.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
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