active duty

American

noun

Military.

the status of full-time service.

on active duty.

active duty Idioms

Full-time service, as in Julian is 81, but he still comes to the office every day and is very much on active duty. This term comes from the military, where it stands in opposition to reserve, which refers to troops still in the military but not actively engaged. It is occasionally transferred to civilian matters as well. [First half of 1800s]

Example Sentences

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active duty

Shaw, then still on active duty, led the American delegation.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

The US has more than 36,000 active duty troops in Germany.

From BBC ● May 3, 2026

Van Dyke has been an active duty soldier in the US since 2008 and has been a master sergeant with the US Army Special Forces since 2023, according to the indictment.

From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026

Reduced and free admission will be available to those receiving federal food assistance and active duty personnel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026

Released from active duty, Fezzik followed the wall around to a quiet place and waited.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023