task force

American  

noun

task forces plural

1. Navy, Military. a temporary grouping of units under one commander, formed for the purpose of carrying out a specific operation or mission.

2. a group or committee, usually of experts or specialists, formed for analyzing, investigating, or solving a specific problem.

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task force British  

noun

1. a temporary grouping of military units formed to undertake a specific mission

2. any semipermanent organization set up to carry out a continuing task

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• task forces
  plural

Etymology

Origin of task force

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

By the two-year anniversary of the bombing, the full-time task force of 120 investigators—who had interviewed nearly 5,000 individuals and pursued leads in 38 states and three countries—had dwindled to several detectives.

From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026

At one event, in which Oz was interviewed by Dean Cain, an actor who played Superman in a 1990s television show, about 50 people listened in as Oz droned on about an anti-fraud task force.

From Slate • Jul. 1, 2026

One task force, he said, would “evaluate new information sources and consider methodological changes” to give policymakers more “actionable” readings on the economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026

The United States could consider making a bid to host the men's 2038 World Cup, says the executive director of the White House's World Cup task force.

From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026

Strauss made the most of his influence over Lawrence by urging him to appoint Teller to the task force and keep thinkers of the Oppenheimer stripe off it.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• crew