Skip to main content
military personnel

military personnel

57 3.4
People who serve in the armed forces, like soldiers and sailors
  • noun
  • /ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri ˌpɜrˈsəˌnɛl/
translation icon : personal militar
  • Military policies and programs directed toward eliminating drug abuse among military personnel appear to have been successful.
  • civilians and military personnel
  • active-duty military personnel
  • retired military personnel

That he would have the balls to get up in front of military personnel and make that speech to me is jaw-dropping.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Force protection condition Delta is activated, placing all worldwide US military personnel on high alert.

  • Only minimal protective gear is required for all military personnel.

  • It's the highest award the United States can give its military personnel.

  • All military personnel will leave at once.

  • All military personnel please report to your squadron.

  • Children of military personnel typically attend schools operated by the U.S. Department of Defense.

    Academic text (2015)
  • A review of hospitalizations among military personnel in the 1990s showed the highest rates among the youngest recruits.

    Academic text (2011)
  • In 1980, 20.8 percent of military personnel reported heavy drinking, compared with 17.0 percent in 1988.

    Academic text (1992)
  • In September 1994, 20,000 US military personnel deployed to Haiti as part of Operation Uphold Democracy.

    Academic text (2012)
  • The government is committed to providing better benefits for military personnel serving overseas.

Synonyms

troops
vsmilitary personnel
2.0

Soldiers who work together as a group in an army

includes all service branches rather than only ground forces
personnel
vsmilitary personnel
559 3.5

The people who work for an organization like a company or the military

is limited to those who serve together in the armed forces
servicemember
vsmilitary personnel
3 3.4

A person who works in the army or navy and wears a uniform

is about the whole group of people serving in armed forces

How Many

army
1.0
force
2.3
military personnel
57 3.4
unit
2.8
squad
702 2.4

Surface Forms

Morphology

military + personnel

The meaning 'people who serve in the armed forces' is directly and compositionally derived from 'military' (relating to soldiers/war) modifying 'personnel' (people/staff). This adjective + noun combination follows a standard, cross-linguistically common pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Military personnel joins military, meaning the 'armed forces', and personnel, meaning the people who work for a group, so the phrase simply points to the 'people who serve' in the armed forces today.