English Lexicon

Armed Forces

/ɑːrmd ˈfɔːr.sɪz/
nounCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #1500 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    The military forces of a nation, including the army, navy, and air force.

    "The armed forces were deployed to assist in disaster relief efforts."
  2. 2

    Collectively, the personnel and equipment of a nation's military.

    "The government announced an increase in funding for the armed forces."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The term 'armed forces' originates from the combination of 'armed', derived from the Old English 'earmian', meaning to equip or furnish with weapons, and 'forces', from Latin 'fortis', meaning strong. The phrase has evolved over centuries to denote military organizations that are equipped for warfare.

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