combatant
noun
com·bat·ant
kəm-ˈba-tᵊnt 
also ˈkäm-bə-tənt
: one that is engaged in or ready to engage in combat
combatant
adjective
Examples of combatant in a Sentence
Britain was a main combatant in World War II.
Recent Examples on the Web
To adhere to the conventions, parties to a conflict must distinguish between civilians and combatants and between civilian places and military ones.
—
Oona A. Hathaway, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
More than 33,000 people have been killed and 76,000 injured in Gaza since the war began, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
—Sammy Westfall, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
The numbers come from Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2024
There even seemed to be an exchange of words between combatants before one bout.
—Victor Mather Todd Heisler, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2024
These new combatants include the Tormentor that was introduced in Destiny 2: Lightfall and the Subjugators that Bungie has already teased.
—Tom Warren, The Verge, 9 Apr. 2024
It’s already left at least 33,000 people dead in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says the majority of the dead are women and children.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
The Gazan health ministry’s tally includes both civilians and combatants.
—Adam Rasgon, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
That figure does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2024
Oona A. Hathaway, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
More than 33,000 people have been killed and 76,000 injured in Gaza since the war began, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
—Sammy Westfall, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
The numbers come from Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2024
There even seemed to be an exchange of words between combatants before one bout.
—Victor Mather Todd Heisler, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2024
These new combatants include the Tormentor that was introduced in Destiny 2: Lightfall and the Subjugators that Bungie has already teased.
—Tom Warren, The Verge, 9 Apr. 2024
It’s already left at least 33,000 people dead in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says the majority of the dead are women and children.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
The Gazan health ministry’s tally includes both civilians and combatants.
—Adam Rasgon, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
That figure does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'combatant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Combatant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combatant. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
combatant
noun
com·bat·ant
kəm-ˈbat-ᵊnt
also ˈkäm-bət-
: one that is engaged in or ready to engage in combat
combatant
adjective
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