combatant

[kuh m-bat-nt, kom-buh-tuh nt, kuhm-]

noun

a nation engaged in active fighting with enemy forces.
a person or group that fights.

adjective

combating; fighting: the combatant armies.
disposed to combat; combative.

Origin of combatant

1425–75; late Middle English combataunt < Middle French combatant. See combat, -ant

Related formspre·com·bat·ant, nounun·com·bat·ant, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for combatants

Contemporary Examples

“We faced these issues of combatants without insignia in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said.
Shocked by Ukraine Violence, NATO Prepares to Face Down Putin
Leo Cendrowicz
October 12, 2014
But that is not going to happen until the combatants are much more exhausted than they are now.
Up to Speed: Five Things You Need to Know on Syria
Christopher Dickey
September 3, 2013
When soldiers are killed, I mourn, but at least I understand the mechanism at hand: We kill their combatants, they kill ours.
In Memory of the Victims of Murderers Just Sent Home
Emily L. Hauser
August 16, 2013
For hours no troops were to be seen, until, finally, late at night, they moved in to separate the combatants.
Egypt’s Military Is Waiting for the Worst
Christopher Dickey, Mike Giglio
July 6, 2013
But they were not combatants fighting for a particular political or religious goal.
The Boston Marathon Suspects Are Killers, Not Combatants
Michael Daly
April 21, 2013

Historical Examples

This short speech was received with applause by the combatants.
A Sketch of the Life of Brig. Gen. Francis Marion
William Dobein James
Six navvies, three to the man, jumped and grabbed the combatants.
The Cruise of the Dry Dock
T. S. Stribling
A mad rush of anger sent him leaping in amongst the combatants.
White Fang
Jack London
At that moment the wind dropped, and the combatants were suspended in mid-air.
Punch or the London Charivari, Vol. 147, July 8, 1914
Various
One of the combatants was the city of Athens, the other was the great island of Atlantis.
Critias
Plato

British Dictionary definitions for combatants

combatant

noun

a person or group engaged in or prepared for a fight, struggle, or dispute

adjective

engaged in or ready for combat

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

Word Origin and History for combatants

combatant

mid-15c. (adj.), late 15c. (n.), from Old French combatant (Modern French combattant) "skilled at fighting, warlike" (also used as a noun in Old French), present participle adjective of combattre (see combat (v.)).

combatant

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}combatant

Related Words

Examples from the Web for combatants

Contemporary Examples

“We faced these issues of combatants without insignia in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said.

But that is not going to happen until the combatants are much more exhausted than they are now.

When soldiers are killed, I mourn, but at least I understand the mechanism at hand: We kill their combatants, they kill ours.

For hours no troops were to be seen, until, finally, late at night, they moved in to separate the combatants.

But they were not combatants fighting for a particular political or religious goal.

Historical Examples

This short speech was received with applause by the combatants.

Six navvies, three to the man, jumped and grabbed the combatants.

A mad rush of anger sent him leaping in amongst the combatants.

At that moment the wind dropped, and the combatants were suspended in mid-air.

One of the combatants was the city of Athens, the other was the great island of Atlantis.

combatant

Word Origin and History for combatants

combatant

Origin of combatant