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Military & Defence vocabulary · Ranks & Personnel

Soldier

Meaning in military & defence, with examples

/ˈsəʊldʒə/nounCore term

In military & defence, soldier means: A member of an army, especially one who is not an officer; someone whose job is military service on land.

In Turkish: asker, er

How it is used

Used for army personnel. Other services have their own words: sailor (navy), airman (air force), marine. Unlike Turkish 'asker', 'soldier' is not normally used for navy or air force members; 'service member' covers everyone.

Example sentences

  1. Each soldier is responsible for cleaning and checking his or her own kit.

  2. The soldiers unloaded the supply trucks before sunset.

Common collocations

  • professional soldier
  • serve as a soldier
  • fellow soldiers
  • young soldier
  • privateThe lowest rank in an army, held by a soldier who has finished basic training and does not command other soldiers.
  • officerA member of the armed forces who holds a commission, has authority over others and is trained to lead units and plan operations.
  • personnelThe people who work for an organisation, especially the members of the armed forces, as opposed to its equipment.
  • rankA person's official level in the military hierarchy, shown on the uniform, which decides their authority, duties and pay.

More terms: Ranks & Personnel

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