Territorial Army
- noun
- /ˌtɛrɪˈtɔːrɪəl ˈɑːmi/
- UK
:
Ejército Territorial
- During the national exercise, the Territorial Army showcased their skills alongside regular forces.
Examples
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The soldiers of the Territorial Army train regularly to prepare for emergencies in Great Britain.
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This is, as yet, not a measure of general mobilization to include the Territorial Army.
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(ON RADIO) Orders have been issued this evening at 1600 hours as a precaution, calling up officers and men of the Anti-Aircraft and coast defense units of the Territorial Army.
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Many volunteers join the Territorial Army to serve their country while pursuing civilian careers.
Synonyms
A group of local people trained as soldiers who get called up in emergencies to defend the country
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally combines 'territorial' (pertaining to a territory) with 'army', so a B1 learner who knows both words will likely infer it refers to an army associated with defending a territory. However, the specific institutional sense — a British volunteer/reserve force of nonprofessional soldiers — is not directly derivable from the constituents, making the meaning only partially predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
Territorial Army gets its name from the idea of local people forming soldiers for their own land: territorial means 'local area' and army means soldiers. So, the name shows it is a group of 'part-time volunteer soldiers' who train while living at home to help regular troops and defend their country.
