army

noun

ar·​my ˈär-mē 

plural armies

1

a

: a large organized body of armed personnel trained for war especially on land

b

: a unit capable of independent action and consisting usually of a headquarters, two or more corps, and auxiliary troops

c

often capitalized : the complete military organization of a nation for land warfare

2

: a great multitude

an army of birds

3

: a body of persons organized to advance a cause

Synonyms

• array
• battalion
• host
• legion

Examples of army in a Sentence

the armies of Alexander the Great

He left home and joined the army after he graduated from high school.

The company employs an army of lawyers to handle its legal affairs.

They sent in a whole army of trained technicians.

The organization was founded by a dedicated army of volunteers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Many are stuck in third countries, including one former member of the Afghan army in Pakistan who spoke to USA TODAY on the condition of anonymity for fear of their safety. —Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2025

You were elected by the county citizens to be a Sheriff not a general of an army. —Ticked Off, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2025

The Mother of Dragons herself, Daenerys Targaryen, embodies the cultural fear of and fascination with a petite, white female wielding her dragons—not a husband or son—to build a seemingly socially just army that will brutally conquer in her name. —Rebecca Scofield / Made By History, TIME, 21 Jan. 2025

Ukraine is developing its own air defense system comparable to the U.S.-made Patriot, the country's army chief has said, as Kyiv continues to grapple with how to protect its territory from persistent Russian missile and drone strikes. —Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English armee, armye "host of armed men, naval fleet, military expedition," borrowed from Anglo-French armé, armee, from armer "to arm entry 2" + -ee, suffix of action or result (going back to Vulgar Latin *-āta, noun derivative from feminine of Latin -ātus, past participle ending of Latin first-conjugation verbs)

Note: Compare Spanish armada "military force, fleet of warships"—see armada.

First Known Use

circa 1522, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing army

• army ant
• general of the army
• sergeant major of the army
• standing army

Kids Definition

army

noun

ar·​my ˈär-mē 

plural armies

1

a

: a large body of men and women organized for land warfare

b

often capitalized : the complete military organization of a nation for land warfare

2

: a great number of persons or things

3

: a body of persons organized to promote an idea

Etymology

Middle English armee "army," from early French armee (same meaning), derived from Latin arma "weapons"