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PLA

American  

abbreviation

  1. People's Liberation Army.


PLA British  

abbreviation

  1. Port of London Authority

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

The missiles create a “multilayered offensive kill network” enabling Japan to strike targets along the coasts as well as inland areas of neighboring countries, the Chinese military’s flagship newspaper, PLA Daily, said in March.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

About 52% of PLA leadership positions have been impacted, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

Xi wants to avoid that so he can have "lasting influence with the PLA," Hart writes.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

“In the culture of fear that pervades the PLA, these new appointees may not give Xi the frank advice he needs,” Wuthnow said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

"The detention of Zhang Youxia was the capstone arrest of the greatest series of purges in the history of China's PLA," experts from the Center for Strategic and International Studies wrote in a note.

From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026