mil·i·tary
ˈmi-lə-ˌter-ē 
1
a
: of or relating to soldiers, arms, or war
military discipline
the country's military needs
b
: of or relating to armed forces
especially
: of or relating to ground or sometimes ground and air forces as opposed to naval forces
military and naval affairs
2
a
: performed or made by armed forces
military operations
b
: supported by armed force
a military government
3
: of or relating to the army
the military academy at West Point
plural military also militaries
1
: military persons
especially
: army officers
2
Synonyms
Examples of military in a Sentence
Adjective
He is being tried in a military court rather than in a civilian court.
He has had a long military career.
Noun
There were many military present but only a few civilians.
some would insist that the military's budget is still inadequate
Recent Examples on the Web
Molly Higgins, WIRED, 1 Nov. 2024
Advertisement Earlier, the board had banned rainbow pride flags in district classrooms, allowing for only government and military flags.
—Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
David Axe, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
To stop the Chinese military from winning the tech arms race, the Treasury Department will soon block and monitor American financial and other support for AI, computer chips, and quantum computing in China.
—Nick Rockel, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for military 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Adjective
Save Even More With a KitchenAid Professional Discount Speaking of great offers, there are other KitchenAid promo codes specifically for essential workers, like teachers, students, healthcare workers, military, first responders - and those over 50.
—Molly Higgins, WIRED, 1 Nov. 2024
Advertisement Earlier, the board had banned rainbow pride flags in district classrooms, allowing for only government and military flags.
—Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
Most of the Ukrainian military’s Strykers are already in Kursk.
—David Axe, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
To stop the Chinese military from winning the tech arms race, the Treasury Department will soon block and monitor American financial and other support for AI, computer chips, and quantum computing in China.
—Nick Rockel, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for military
Dictionary Entries Near military
Cite this Entry
“Military.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/military. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
military
1 of 2 adjective
mil·i·tary
ˈmil-ə-ˌter-ē
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of soldiers, arms, or war
military discipline
2
: carried on or supported by armed force
a military government
3
: of or relating to the army
military and naval affairs
military
2 of 2 noun
plural military
1
2
: military persons
especially
: army officers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share