Military Meaning
/ˈmɪlɪt(ə)ɹi/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjCharacteristic of members of the armed forces.
adjRelating to armed forces such as the army, marines, navy and air force (often as distinguished from civilians or police forces).
Sentence Examples
The President says we must beef up our military forces.
The site is used for military purposes.
The country decided to increase its military budget for national security.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The brave soldier proudly served in the ____ for twenty years.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
After finishing high school, John decided to join the ____, hoping to travel the world while serving his country with honor.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English militari, from Old French militaire, from Latin mīlitāris, from mīles (“soldier”) + -āris (whence -ary). Doublet of militaire.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
""My dear fellow, I know you well. I know the military neatness which characterises you. You shave every morning, and in this season you shave by the sunlight; but since your shaving is less and less complete as we get farther back on the left side, until it becomes positively slovenly as we get round the angle of the jaw, it is surely very clear that that side is less illuminated than the other. I could not imagine a man of your habits looking at himself in an equal light and being satisfied with such a result.""
— 1891, Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Boscombe Valley Mystery”, in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmesᵂⁱᵏⁱˢᵒᵘʳᶜᵉ:
"At her invitation he outlined for her the succeeding chapters with terse military accuracy ; and what she liked best and best understood was avoidance of that false modesty which condescends, turning technicality into pabulum."
— 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter VIII, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
"Poirot was an extraordinary looking little man. He was hardly more than five feet, four inches, but carried himself with great dignity. His head was exactly the shape of an egg, and he always perched it a little on one side. His moustache was very stiff and military. The neatness of his attire was almost incredible."
— 1920, Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, London: Pan Books, published 1954, page 21:
"The only goal pursued by Western defense strategy — to cause the Warsaw Pact to break off an attack — is more military than political in nature."
— 1989, Gregory Flynn, Soviet Military Doctrine and Western Policy, page 158:
"The dispatches […] also exposed the blatant discrepancy between the west's professed values and actual foreign policies. Having lectured the Arab world about democracy for years, its collusion in suppressing freedom was undeniable as protesters were met by weaponry and tear gas made in the west, employed by a military trained by westerners."
— 2013 June 7, Gary Younge, “Hypocrisy lies at heart of Manning prosecution”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 18:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The brave soldier proudly served in the ____ for twenty years.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
After finishing high school, John decided to join the ____, hoping to travel the world while serving his country with honor.