standing army
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of standing army
First recorded in 1595–1605
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.
It commits a higher proportion of GDP to defense than any other EU member, and maintains the bloc’s largest standing army.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026
That reading continued into the 1800s, when both Congress and the Supreme Court referred to the standing army as “regular forces.”
From Slate • Oct. 30, 2025
After chairing an emergency Cobra meeting of ministers and senior police chiefs, Sir Keir announced a "standing army" of specialist officers to tackle the disorder.
From BBC • Aug. 6, 2024
About the founders: Historians will tell you that when the Constitution was adopted, America had no significant standing army.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 2, 2023
Bloom had no idea whether Russia even had a standing army, let alone how many soldiers it might include and how many square feet they would cover.
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
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
