armed force
Nation's fighting body
Armed force refers to military power or the use of weapons in conflict.
In the singular, it often appears in the phrase by armed force, meaning through military action rather than diplomacy.
In the plural, armed forces denotes a nation's military branches collectively—army, navy, air force, and any others: He served in the armed forces for twenty years.
- armyOrganized land-based military
- marinesNaval infantry soldiers
- navyMaritime military force
- ground troopsSoldiers operating on land
- veteransFormer armed forces members
firearms · air superiority · defense · conscription · reconnaissance · tanks · deterrence · guerrilla tactics · battalion · peacekeeping · military history · ambush · cyber warfare · siege · war memorials · fighter jets · humanitarian aid · tour of duty
armed forcecivilian population
civilians · noncombatants · civil society · citizenry · general public
armed forcepeacekeepers
Forces maintaining cease-fires
humanitarian workers · nonviolent resistance · aid workers · relief organizations
armed forcediplomacy
Negotiation between nations
nonviolent resistance · soft power · dialogue · mediation · peacemaking
force, arm, arms, armor, armed, forceful, enforce, forces, reinforce