combatant
One who battles
A combatant is someone engaged in combat—a fighter in a war or armed conflict.
International law distinguishes combatants from civilians, with combatants being legitimate military targets who may also be held as prisoners of war.
The term extends to anyone actively fighting in any struggle: The combatants in the custody battle hired expensive lawyers.
Hostile and eager to clash
- aggressorOne who initiates conflict
- adversaryEnemy in conflict
- antagonistOne who opposes another
- enemyHostile opposing party
foe · opponent · attacker · assailant · insurgent · rebel · revolutionary · resistance fighter
Armed forces member
- warriorOne skilled in combat
- infantryGround combat troops
- marineRelating to the sea
- commandoSpecial operations soldier
trooper · veteran · mercenary · guerrilla · militia · paratrooper · ranger · sniper
Authority defier
- insurgentOne who revolts
- guerrillaIrregular armed fighter
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
- partisanBiased toward one side
resistance fighter · militant · saboteur · freedom fighter · mutineer · dissident · underground fighter · cell member
One striving against others
- contenderOne competing seriously
- challengerOne competing against incumbent
- rivalOne who competes against
- duelistFormal single-combat participant
opponent · sparring partner · prizefighter · champion · title holder · underdog · finalist
Combat engagement area
- frontlineCombat's forward position
- engagementCommitment to wed or attend
- skirmishBrief, limited combat
- firefightExchange of gunfire
offensive · foxhole · trench · siege · campaign · theater of war · deployment · armistice
belligerent
Hostile and eager to clash
- aggressorOne who initiates conflict
- adversaryEnemy in conflict
- antagonistOne who opposes another
enemy · foe · opponent · attacker · assailant · insurgent · rebel · revolutionary · resistance fighter · partisan
soldier
Armed forces member
commando · trooper · veteran · mercenary · guerrilla · militia · paratrooper · ranger · sniper · officer
rebel
Authority defier
- insurgentOne who revolts
- guerrillaIrregular armed fighter
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
partisan · resistance fighter · militant · saboteur · freedom fighter · mutineer · dissident · underground fighter · cell member · irregular
competitor
One striving against others
- contenderOne competing seriously
- challengerOne competing against incumbent
- rivalOne who competes against
duelist · opponent · sparring partner · prizefighter · champion · title holder · underdog · finalist
battlefield
Combat engagement area
- frontlineCombat's forward position
- engagementCommitment to wed or attend
- skirmishBrief, limited combat
firefight · offensive · foxhole · trench · siege · campaign · theater of war · deployment · armistice · casualty
- joustingjoust, jousting, lance, tilt, tilting
- fightersboxer, boxers, wrestler, Muhammad Ali, fighter
- military personnelsoldiers, soldier, midshipmen, officers, troops
- soldiersinfantryman, private, grenadier, grenadiers, fusilier
- opponentsopponent, adversary, rival, foe, enemy
- brawlersbrawler, bruiser, fighter, scrapper, street fighter
combatantcivilian
Non-military person
noncombatant · non-combatant · innocent bystander · bystander · innocent
combatantneutral
Not favoring any side
peacemaker · bystander · observer · peacekeeper · mediator
combatantpacifist
Anti-violence believer
conscientious objector · dove · peace activist · peacemaker · peacenik
- enemy combatantsHostile armed opponents
- unlawful combatantsFighters lacking protected status
- illegal combatantFighter denied prisoner-of-war status
combatants, noncombatant, non-combatant, noncombatants, non-combatants