1
a
: one engaged in military service and especially in the army
b
: an enlisted man or woman
c
: a skilled warrior
2
: a militant leader, follower, or worker
3
a
: one of a caste of wingless sterile termites usually differing from workers in larger size and head and long jaws
b
: one of a type of worker ants distinguished by exceptionally large head and jaws
4
ˈsō-jər 
ˈsōl-
: one who shirks work
soldiered; soldiering
ˈsōl-jə-riŋ
ˈsōlj-riŋ
1
a
: to serve as a soldier
b
: to behave in a soldierly manner
c
: to push doggedly forward
—usually used with on
soldiered on to the end
2
: to make a pretense of working while really loafing
Examples of soldier in a Sentence
Noun
Many soldiers were wounded in combat.
one of the goals of war is to keep as many soldiers as possible from being killed
Recent Examples on the Web
Anna Chernova and Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
Around the time of Jesus’s birth, tens of thousands of Roman soldiers marched into Judea to suppress an insurrection, a brutal campaign recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025
Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
Hollywood has become experienced at soldiering forward.
—Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for soldier
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Noun
Moscow has been relying on assistance from North Korean soldiers to push back Kyiv’s advances in the Kursk region of Russia, and has been steadily advancing on the ground in eastern Ukraine, while the US attempts to broker talks that would end the conflict.
—Anna Chernova and Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
Around the time of Jesus’s birth, tens of thousands of Roman soldiers marched into Judea to suppress an insurrection, a brutal campaign recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025
Verb
Or a tearful Villanova piccolo player soldiering through in the wake of a loss.
—Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
Hollywood has become experienced at soldiering forward.
—Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for soldier
Cite this Entry
“Soldier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soldier. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
soldier
1 of 2 noun
sol·dier
ˈsōl-jər
1
a
: a person in military service and especially in the army
b
: an enlisted person
2
: a worker in something strongly believed in
3
: a termite or ant with a large head and jaws that is a member of a caste that protects the colony
soldierly
adjective
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