military
Americanadjective
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of, for, or pertaining to the army or armed forces, often as distinguished from the navy.
from civilian to military life.
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of, for, or pertaining to war.
military preparedness.
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of or relating to soldiers.
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befitting, characteristic of, or noting a soldier.
a military bearing.
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following the life of a soldier.
a military career.
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performed by soldiers.
military duty.
noun
adjective
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of or relating to the armed forces (esp the army), warlike matters, etc
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of, characteristic of, or about soldiers
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of military
1575–85; < Latin mīlitāri ( s ), equivalent to mīlit- (stem of mīles ) soldier + -āris -ary
Explanation
Ten, hut! So you'd like the definition of military? Yes, Sir! The adjective military is used to describe anything related to the armed forces or soldiers. Stemming from the Latin word for "soldier," military is a word that goes hand in hand with war. It's the military that protects a country's interests, lead by generals and powered by brave soldiers. When used as an adjective, military describes anything that's related to, well, the military: salutes, campaigns, uniforms, etc.
Vocabulary lists containing military
Veterans Day Vocabulary
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Fighting Words: Belli and Milit
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Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A Date That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)
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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.
State media images showed Xi and Kim beaming as they shook each other's hand, with the Chinese leader receiving a lavish welcome ceremony with a red-carpet military salute and cheering crowds.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
A governance review pushed by RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney is set to slim down the council, which includes representatives from England's counties, the military and Oxbridge, and reduce its power to an advisory role.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
The weak military lacks advanced air-defense systems and missile capabilities, and possesses only a handful of attack planes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
China and North Korea have a military alliance centred on a 1961 treaty obliging each side to come to the other's aid in the event of an armed attack.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
A puffin who had descended from a long line of military heroes could not be expected to perform manual labor.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
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.
