army
Americannoun
plural
armies-
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
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.
“Kevin is extraordinary. He’s been like a Swiss army knife at Duquesne. He runs our private equity, he helps with economic forecasts. He handles the networking outside the firm.”
From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026
Following the incident, an army bomb disposal team and specialist police officers made extensive searches of the area to ensure it was safe.
From BBC • May 5, 2026
How America’s retail army came to rule the stock market.
From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026
However, officials in the group say they don’t expect the Lebanese army to confront it aggressively, because doing so could risk triggering civil conflict—a fear rooted in Lebanon’s 1975–1990 civil war.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
The army clerk looked at me across the counter.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
