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armed forces
plural noun
: the combined military, naval, and air forces of a nation
called also armed services
Examples of armed forces in a Sentence
our nation's armed forces are stationed throughout the world
Recent Examples on the Web
Military life can be a shock to musicians, most of whom have no prior experience with the armed forces.
—Sarah Diamond Christopher Lee, New York Times, 27 May 2024
This isn’t the first time in history a left-wing elite has tried to drive conservatives out of the armed forces.
—Jacob Hornstein, National Review, 26 May 2024
Last year Vladimir Putin’s former defense minister outlined detailed plans to expand Russia’s armed forces even further: to 1.5 million people from 1.15 million now.
—Olesia Safronova, Fortune, 26 May 2024
Taiwan scrambled jets and placed its armed forces on alert in response to the PLA drills.
—Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for armed forces
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'armed forces.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1625, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near armed forces
Cite this Entry
“Armed forces.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armed%20forces. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
armed forces
plural noun
: the military, naval, and air forces of a nation
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