soldierly

American

[sohl-jer-lee] / ˈsoʊl dʒər li /

adjective

of, like, or befitting a soldier.

soldierly British

/ ˈsəʊldʒəlɪ /

adjective

of or befitting a good soldier

"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

Other Word Forms

soldierliness

noun

Etymology

Origin of soldierly

First recorded in 1570–80; soldier + -ly

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.

Mr. Stephens does a superb job of following these complex campaigns, giving full scope to Marcus’ soldierly side.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026

Earlier, the messages sent out by Captain Palamar and others at the plant were full of soldierly bravado.

From New York Times • Jul. 24, 2022

The tents were lined up with a soldierly precision, and each sported a prominent American flag.

From Washington Times • Nov. 9, 2021

While Akhundzada hailed from the large and powerful Noorzai tribe, his stock within the regime was seen as more scholarly than soldierly, unlike previous leaders.

From Reuters • Sep. 7, 2021

Newly planted trees stood in soldierly ranks, but in the heat and haze they looked like desert troops gone too long without water.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

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