firefighter

American  

[fahyuhr-fahy-ter] / ˈfaɪərˌfaɪ tɛr /

Or fire fighter

noun

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

• firefighting noun

Etymology

Origin of firefighter

First recorded in 1900–05; fire + fighter

Example Sentences

Instead, the 28-year-old is now pursuing an abrupt shift: becoming a full-time firefighter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

The popular show was about members of London Fire Brigade, and he played firefighter Billy Ray, raising his profile so much that by 1996 he launched a pop career.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

Gimbel, who served as an economic adviser in the Biden and Obama administrations, noted that the eurozone is making nascent efforts to attract bond investors — in other words, to become that nice firefighter.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

A firefighter picking up hoses on Jan. 2 found crackling, red-hot coals in the dirt and warned colleagues that a more thorough mop-up was needed.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

“You know, I thought about whether I was a boy once. Back when I wanted to be a firefighter and I thought all firefighters were boys. Is it like that?”

From "George" by Alex Gino