armed forces
Americanplural noun
plural noun
Etymology
Origin of armed forces
First recorded in 1685–95
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.
Might the armed forces not survive the ordeal of Vietnam?
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
The armed forces pick - and conscript - the best candidates.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Space Force, the service of the armed forces that deals with this topic, has defined space control as efforts to “destroy, disrupt, or degrade” vital assets in outer space.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
They signed a strategic roadmap on the acquisition of French military equipment as Iraq seeks to modernise its armed forces and strengthen its sovereignty capabilities.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
Since good laws cannot exist where there are no good armies, and where good armies exist there must be good laws, I shall leave aside the arguments about laws and shall discuss the armed forces.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
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.
