ranger

noun

rang·​er ˈrān-jər How to pronounce ranger (audio)
1
a
: the keeper of a British royal park or forest
2
: one that ranges
3
a
: one of a body of organized armed men who range over a region especially to enforce the law
b
: a soldier specially trained in close-range fighting and in raiding tactics

Examples of ranger in a Sentence

She's now a ranger at a national forest in Montana. We were fortunate enough to get a tour from a ranger when we visited Yellowstone National Park.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One park ranger, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, said the talking points prevent rangers from telling the public the truth. Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 14 Mar. 2025 National parks, monuments and other sites will close to the public, with rangers furloughed and facilities shut down. Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2025 The Trump administration has enforced a hiring freeze, targeted federal offices in California for closure and terminated many of the 147,000 federal employees across the state, ranging from U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers to National Park Service rangers. The Sacramento Bee Staff, Sacramento Bee, 11 Mar. 2025 The site, its officers, and its rangers, have been recognized worldwide for conservation and geotourism efforts—standing out especially in a country that’s deemed the deadliest in the continent for environmental defenders. Chad De Guzman, TIME, 10 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ranger

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ranger was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Ranger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ranger. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

ranger

noun
rang·​er ˈrān-jər How to pronounce ranger (audio)
1
2
a
: a member of a body of troops who range over a region
b
: a soldier in an army unit with special training (as parachute jumping and scuba diving) for making surprise attacks and raids

More from Merriam-Webster on ranger

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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