common soldier
1
2.8
- noun
- /ˈkɑːmən ˈsoʊldʒər/
:
soldado raso
- How, then, should men and women remember the common soldiers of the war and the political architects of independence?
Examples
-
But the common soldiers don't seem to share that belief.
Fiction book (1990) -
It was in diary form and represented the common soldier's point of view, Mexican and Texan.
Fiction book (1992) -
And what terms did you make for the common soldiers?
-
"But it's the common soldiers I feel sorry for, Nick."
Fiction book (1990) -
Like most troops on both sides in the war, the common soldiers took heart from the example their officers set.
Fiction book (1992) -
Since it was the common soldiers who were doing the complaining, the nature of the talk was hardly surprising.
Fiction book (1991) -
The common soldiers, already having broken ranks, cluster up the hill to see the confrontation.
Fiction book (1995) -
The purpose of the fighting was ill-defined, at least to the common soldier, although American political leaders claimed to have a vision of the goals for which American men were fighting.
Academic text (2001) -
Sinklar wore no insignia of rank, no fine fabrics, just the armor of the common soldier.
Fiction book (1992) -
The story highlights the bravery and struggles of the common soldier during the war.
Synonyms
∞
1.1
A person who serves in an army and fights for their country
76
3.7
A soldier of the lowest rank in the army or marines
41
7.0
A low-level soldier or worker who does basic routine tasks
24
3.8
A person who fights on foot or does basic work for a group
1
8.2
A soldier with the lowest rank in the US Army or Marines
1
4.9
A member of the armed forces who is not an officer
1
8.6
A person who serves or served in the armed forces but is not an officer
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an enlisted, ordinary member of the military' is directly and transparently derivable from combining 'common' (ordinary/shared) with 'soldier' (military person). This adjective+noun composition follows normal lexical rules and is cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will very likely understand the MWE.
Etymology
The phrase common soldier comes from old armies where leaders were nobles and most fighters were ordinary people. The word common meant 'ordinary' and soldier meant a person who fights, so the phrase came to mean a 'lowest rank' soldier.