army

UK /ˈɑː.mi/ US /ˈɑːr.mi/ Syllables: ar-my

Pronunciation

Noun A1 Beginner Neutral

A large, organized group of soldiers trained to fight on land.

An army is a large, organized group of soldiers who are trained to fight on land. A country has an army to defend it, and the army may join with the navy and air force in wars. People who serve in an army are called soldiers, and they follow ranks, from private to general. The word is also used for any large group that works together, such as an army of volunteers or an army of ants. In many countries, a young person may choose to join the army.

"He joined the army right after finishing school."

Meanings

A large, organized group of soldiers trained to fight on land.
A very large group of people or animals acting together.

Example sentences

"The army marched across the border at dawn."

Level A2, Meaning 1
"My uncle joined the army when he was eighteen."

Level A1, Meaning 1
"An army of volunteers cleaned the beach."

Level B2, Meaning 2
"The army base is near the river."

Level A2, Meaning 1

Look-alikes and common mistakes

navy : The navy fights at sea. The army fights on land.
military : Military is the whole set of armed forces. The army is one part of it.

Word family and forms

Forms: armies

arm armed armada military

Word partners

Words and phrases that often go with "army".

join the army
an army officer
the army base
an army of volunteers
a standing army
serve in the army

Origin

Army came into English in the 1300s from Old French armee, which came from Medieval Latin armata, an armed force. The Latin word is the past participle of armare, to arm. The Spanish word armada, a fleet of warships, is a cousin of the same Latin source.

Checked against: Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Dictionary.com.

How to remember it

Army has arm in it. An army is a group of people with arms, meaning weapons.

Test yourself

Which word fits the gap? "The _____ marched across the border at dawn."

Answer: army

In your own words, what does "army" mean?