combatant

noun

com·​bat·​ant kəm-ˈba-tᵊnt How to pronounce combatant (audio)
also ˈkäm-bə-tənt
Synonyms of combatantnext
: one that is engaged in or ready to engage in combat
combatant adjective

Examples of combatant in a Sentence

Britain was a main combatant in World War II.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The service was also facing the retirement of older, larger ships and was looking for ways to maintain its fleet size with smaller surface combatants that could be built more quickly and cheaply than bigger vessels, the report said. Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 28 May 2026 In a society traumatized by the violence of the last 70 years, the new president came to power seeking to resume the path established by the 2016 peace agreement, in which about 13,000 FARC combatants and sympathizers exchanged armed struggle for amnesty and state protection. Roberto Andrés, The Dial, 28 May 2026 The gender of female combatants was discovered only when they were wounded or killed. Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026 In experiments inspired by drone warfare, his team asked participants to categorize images as civilians or enemy combatants and to choose whether to fire a missile at each potential target. Steven Melendez, Scientific American, 22 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for combatant

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of combatant was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Combatant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combatant. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

combatant

noun
com·​bat·​ant kəm-ˈbat-ᵊnt How to pronounce combatant (audio)
also ˈkäm-bət-
: one that is engaged in or ready to engage in combat
combatant adjective

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