Phrase guide

armed forces

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The military forces of a nation, such as the army, navy, air force, marines, and sometimes, coastguard or border guard, which are tasked with the defence of the nation and its citizens, if necessary through use of deadly force.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: plural, plural-normally

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the military forces of a nation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • their military is the largest in the region
  • the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: military, armed services, military machine, war machine

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: force, personnel

Narrower terms: military reserve, reserve

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

137 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: weermag — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Afrikaans: gewapende magte — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Albanian: forcat e armatosura — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Arabic: قُوَّات مُسَلَّحَة (quwwāt musallaḥa) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Arabic: قُوَّات (quwwāt) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Arabic: جَيْش (jayš) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Armenian: զինված ուժեր (zinvac užer) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Azerbaijani: silahlı qüvvələr — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Basque: armada — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Belarusian: узбро́еныя сі́лы (uzbrójenyja síly) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Belarusian: во́йска (vójska) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Belarusian: а́рмія (ármija) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Bengali: সামরিক বাহিনী (śamrik bahini) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Bulgarian: въоръже́ни си́ли (vǎorǎžéni síli) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Bulgarian: войски́ (vojskí) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Bulgarian: а́рмия (ármija) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Burmese: ဗိုလ်ခြေ (builhkre) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Catalan: exèrcit — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Catalan: forces armades — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Chinese Mandarin: 武裝部隊 /武装部队 (wǔzhuāng bùduì) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Chinese Mandarin: 軍隊 /军队 (jūnduì) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Czech: ozbrojené síly — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Czech: vojsko — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Danish: forsvar — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Danish: væbnede styrker — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Dutch: leger — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Dutch: krijgsmacht — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Dutch: strijdmacht — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Dutch: strijdkrachten — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Dutch: heer — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Dutch: heir — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Dutch: troep — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Dutch: troepen — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Dutch: armee — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Estonian: relvajõud — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Estonian: sõjavägi — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Finnish: asevoimat — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Finnish: sotavoimat — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Finnish: puolustusvoimat — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • French: forces armées — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Friulian: fuarcis armadis — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Galician: forzas armadas — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Georgian: სამხედრო ძალები (samxedro ʒalebi) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Georgian: შეიარაღებული ძალები (šeiaraɣebuli ʒalebi) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • German: Streitkräfte — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • German: Streitmacht — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • German: Armee — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • German: Militär — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Greek: στράτευμα (strátevma) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Greek: ένοπλες δυνάμεις (énoples dynámeis) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Greek: στρατός (stratós) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Hebrew: כּוֹחוֹת מְזֻיָּנִים \ כוחות מזוינים (kokhót m'zuyyaním) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Hindi: सेना (senā) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Hindi: सैन्य (sainya) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Hindi: सशस्त्र बल (saśastra bal) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Hindi: सशस्त्र सेनाएँ (saśastra senāẽ) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Hungarian: fegyveres erők — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Hungarian: haderő — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Hungarian: karhatalom — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Icelandic: hersveitir — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Indonesian: angkatan bersenjata — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Indonesian: tentara — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Irish: fórsaí armtha — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Italian: forze armate — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Japanese: 軍隊 (guntai) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Kazakh: қарулы күштер (qaruly küşter) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Khmer: កងទ័ព (kɑɑng tŏəp) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Khmer: កងកម្លាំងប្រដាប់អាវុធ (kɑɑng kɑɑkɑmlang prɑɑdap ʼaavut) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Khmer: កងយោធពល (kɑɑngyoothĕəʼpŭəl) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Khmer: យោធពល (yoothĕəʼ pŭəl) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Khmer: កម្លាំងទ័ព (kɑmlang tŏəp) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Korean: 군대 (gundae) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Northern Kurdish: hêzên çekdar — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Kyrgyz: куралдуу күчтөр (kuralduu küctör) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Lao: ກອງກໍາລັງ (kǭng kam lang) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Latvian: bruņotie spēki — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Latvian: armija — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Lithuanian: kariuomenė — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Lithuanian: ginkluotosios pajėgos — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Macedonian: вооружени сили (vooruženi sili) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Macedonian: војска (vojska) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Macedonian: армија (armija) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Malay: angkatan tentera — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Malay: tentera — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Mongolian: зэвсэгт хүч (zevsegt xüč) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Navajo: siláołtsooí — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Nogai: савытлы куьшлер (savıtlı küşler) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Norwegian Bokmål: væpnede styrker — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Norwegian Bokmål: krigsmakt — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: væpna styrkar — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: krigsmakt — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Iranian Persian: نیروهایِ مُسَلَّح (niruhâ-ye mosallah) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Iranian Persian: نیروهایِ زیناوَنْد (niruhâ-ye zinâvand) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Iranian Persian: لَشْکَر (laškar) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Iranian Persian: نیرویِ نِظامی (niru-ye nezâmi) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Polish: siły zbrojne — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Polish: wojsko — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Polish: armia — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Portuguese: forças armadas — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Romanian: forțe armate — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Russian: вооружённые си́лы (vooružónnyje síly) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Russian: войска́ (vojská) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Russian: а́рмия (ármija) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Serbo-Croatian: оружане снаге — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Serbo-Croatian: во́јска — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Serbo-Croatian: а̀рмија — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Serbo-Croatian: oružane snage — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Serbo-Croatian: vójska — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Serbo-Croatian: àrmija — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Slovak: ozbrojené sily — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Slovak: vojsko — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Slovene: oborožene sile — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Slovene: vojska — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Spanish: fuerzas armadas — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Swedish: försvarsmakt — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Swedish: krigsmakt — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Swedish: väpnade styrkor — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Tagalog: hukbong-sandatahan — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Tagalog: sandatahang-lakas — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Tajik: қувваҳои мусаллаҳ (quvvaho-yi musallah) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Tajik: нерӯҳои мусаллаҳ (nerüho-yi musallah) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Tatar: хәрби көчләр (xärbi köçlär) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Thai: การทหาร (gaan-tá-hǎan) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Thai: กองทัพ (gɔɔng-táp) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Thai: พลากร (pá-laa-gɔɔn) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Turkish: silahlı kuvvetler — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Turkmen: ýaragly güýçler — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Ukrainian: збро́йні си́ли (zbrójni sýly) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Ukrainian: ві́йсько (víjsʹko) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Ukrainian: а́рмія (ármija) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Urdu: مُسَلَّح اَفْواج (musallah afvāj) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Uyghur: قوراللىق كۈچلىر (qoralliq küchlir) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Uyghur: ھەربىي قىسىم (herbiy qisim) — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Uzbek: qurolli kuchlar — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Vietnamese: quân đội — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Vietnamese: lực lượng vũ trang — the military forces of a nation — see also army
  • Welsh: lluoedd arfog — the military forces of a nation — see also army