expeditionary

adjective

ex·​pe·​di·​tion·​ary ˌek-spə-ˈdi-shə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce expeditionary (audio)
: of, relating to, or being an expedition
also : sent on military service abroad
an expeditionary force

Examples of expeditionary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In the 1930s, the Marine Corps, the most independent of the military services, wrote a doctrine explicitly subordinating its expeditionary forces to the direction of diplomats. Kori Schake, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2026 The Marines being sent to the region are an expeditionary unit designed for quick amphibious landings, but their deployment does not mean a ground invasion is certain. Nicholas Riccardi, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026 On Friday, the Pentagon announced that an additional expeditionary unit of 2,500 Marines was being deployed to the region to support the effort. Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026 For the first time, the US Air Force conducted the hot-pit refueling operation using an R-20 expeditionary refueling system. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 5 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for expeditionary

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of expeditionary was in 1817

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Cite this Entry

“Expeditionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expeditionary. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

expeditionary

adjective
ex·​pe·​di·​tion·​ary ek-spə-ˈdish-ə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce expeditionary (audio)
: sent on military service abroad
an expeditionary force
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