combatant

noun

com·​bat·​ant kəm-ˈba-tᵊnt How to pronounce combatant (audio)
 also  ˈkäm-bə-tənt
: 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.
Israel’s air and ground war has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not differentiate between combatants and civilians but say women and children make up more than half the fatalities. Will Weissert and Zeke Miller, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2025 The military offensive launched by Israel in response has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians and injured more than 110,000 in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its figures. Mick Krever, CNN, 18 Jan. 2025 The tally does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Filip Timotija, The Hill, 18 Jan. 2025 Defined by large-scale battles where the player controls a single combatant capable of wiping out hoards of foes at a clip with just a few button presses, the Warriors games (which include the parent series, multiple spin-offs, and those inspired by them) are pure power fantasy. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 17 Jan. 2025 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

Dictionary Entries Near combatant

Cite this Entry

“Combatant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combatant. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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