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Military & Defence vocabulary · Branches of the Armed Forces

Special forces

Meaning in military & defence, with examples

/ˌspeʃl ˈfɔːsɪz/nounCommon term

In military & defence, special forces means: Small units of carefully selected and highly trained personnel who carry out difficult and sensitive tasks that regular units are not prepared for.

In Turkish: özel kuvvetler

How it is used

Always plural. Often shortened to SF; NATO uses the wider term special operations forces (SOF). Joining requires passing a long and demanding selection process.

Example sentences

  1. Only a small number of candidates pass the special forces selection course.

  2. The conference discussed training standards for special forces in partner nations.

Common collocations

  • special forces unit
  • special forces selection
  • special operations forces
  • join the special forces
  • infantrySoldiers who operate mainly on foot, or in vehicles that carry them, and who take and hold ground; also the army branch they belong to.
  • armyThe branch of the armed forces that operates on land; as a unit name, also a very large formation made up of several corps.
  • unitAny organised group of military personnel with its own commander and role, from a small team up to a large formation.
  • trainingThe process of teaching personnel the knowledge and skills they need, from basic soldiering to specialist and leadership courses.

More terms: Branches of the Armed Forces

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