What does soldier mean?
A soldier is a member of an armed force who is trained and organized to fight or carry out military duties. In ordinary modern usage, the word covers personnel in several roles, including combat troops, though it often suggests someone actively prepared for battle. The term may also be used figuratively for a person regarded as brave, dependable, or committed to a difficult cause, as in the expression “a soldier for the people.” Historically, soldier developed from an expression connected with payment for military service, and older usages could emphasize a hired fighter rather than a regular member of a modern army. Today it remains a general and internationally familiar term, while alternatives such as serviceman, servicewoman, trooper, and GI are used in more specific or regional contexts.
nounA member of an armed force trained and organized to fight. The term can also refer figuratively to someone who displays courage, loyalty, or persistent effort in support of a cause.
- A person who serves as a member of an armed force, especially in a fighting role.
- A person hired to serve in combat, especially during the early modern period.
- A person regarded as brave, steadfast, or devoted to a cause.
"The soldiers marched steadily toward the border as the morning sun rose."
"Each soldier checked her equipment before the unit departed."
"She became a soldier in the campaign for cleaner public water."
The regular plural adds -s to the singular form.
"The soldiers gathered at the edge of the forest."
The word once carried a moneybags meaning: the earliest English forms referred to a soldier as a person paid for military service.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does soldier come from?
The word entered Middle English in forms such as soudeour, borrowed from Anglo-French soudeer and Old French soudeer. Old French soudeer referred to a person paid for military service and was related to soude, “payment”; the ultimate origin of that term is disputed. Related Romance forms include French soldat, Spanish soldado, and Portuguese soldado, all associated with the wider historical idea of paid military service.
Related word forms
How soldier is actually used
The term is used in both formal and informal contexts. “GI” is specifically American and normally denotes a member of the United States armed forces, while “soldier” can refer to a member of any military force.