Special Forces

plural noun

: a branch of the U.S. Army composed of soldiers specially trained in guerrilla warfare

Examples of Special Forces in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
CEOs with military backgrounds, for example, are 60% less likely to oversee accounting fraud than those without them (N.B.: Elite Special Forces units like the Navy SEALs are far less bureaucratic than the rest of the military. Gautam Mukunda, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 One is Army Special Forces brass Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and the other is symbiote whisperer scientist Dr. Payne (Juno Temple). David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2024 After a stint in the city DA’s office, Oh joined the Army National Guard, serving as a second lieutenant in the 20th Special Forces Group; his unit was activated in 1991 for Operation Desert Storm, but the war ended before his deployment overseas. Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024 Due to the difficult terrain, Army soldiers from the 1st Special Forces Group, who are specialized in mountaineering and high-angle rescues, helped in the search, the Navy added. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Special Forces 

Word History

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Special Forces was in 1955

Dictionary Entries Near Special Forces

Cite this Entry

“Special Forces.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Special%20Forces. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!