firefighter

American  

[fahyuhr-fahy-ter] / ˈfaɪərˌfaɪ tɛr /

Or fire fighter

noun

• firefighters
  plural

1. a person who fights destructive fires.

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firefighter British  

/ ˈfaɪəˌfaɪtə /

noun

1. a person who fights fires, usually a public employee or trained volunteer

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• firefighting
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• firefighters
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of firefighter

First recorded in 1900–05; fire + fighter

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Explanation

A firefighter is someone whose job involves investigating and putting out accidental blazes. If your gas stove ignites a towel and you can't put out the flames, call the firefighters! The word fireman is older than firefighter, which first appeared in the late 19th century, and for a long time it was much more commonly used. These days, it's more accurate to use firefighter, since men and women both work for fire departments battling fires. Also, the word perfectly describes the job itself, fighting dangerous fires.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

firefighter firefighters

Fauzi Rahman, another firefighter in Palangkaraya, highlighted this as one of the main difficulties confronting him and his peers.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

With some formal firefighter training and background checks, volunteers commit to following fire officials’ orders, helping residents evacuate and putting out spot fires, while leaving the ferocious front-line flames to the professionals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Another firefighter involved in the rescue was briefly evaluated for injuries, the report said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

The first thing to do on scene was assign a firefighter to walk 360 degrees around the burning structure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

I hear him discuss her with another firefighter, who looks like he can’t be more than eighteen.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

The city's fire commissioner, Lillian Bonsignore, said firefighters were on the scene within minutes and called their actions "incredibly heroic".

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026

Three firefighters were among the injured, Mamdani said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026

The number of firefighters in the department has stayed largely stagnant since the 1960s, according to the fire department, even as the city’s population grew.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2026

The country's volunteer firefighters had around $320,000 deposited in the bank.

From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026

“I’m sure your parents are going to want to know that the four of you are safe,” one of the kindliest-looking firefighters said.

From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

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