What does "soldier" mean?
A member of a ground-based army, of any rank, but especially an enlisted member.
Soldier
/ˈsəʊld͡ʒə/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A member of a ground-based army, of any rank, but especially an enlisted member.
- Grammar: soldier is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: aggressive, air serviceman, amazon, ant.
- Useful contrasts: german zivil, romanian civil, cease.
- Usage evidence: The soldier refused to fire his rifle at the enemy.
How to use "soldier"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "soldier" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "soldier" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "soldier" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "soldier" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "soldier" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aggressive" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "soldier", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A member of a ground-based army, of any rank, but especially an enlisted member. countable
"My friends and I saw a soldier questioning a man holding a bag with a gun in his pocket."
- 2 a wingless sterile ant or termite having a large head and powerful jaws adapted for defending the colony wordnet
- 3 Any member of a military, regardless of specialty. broadly, countable, nonstandard
- 4 an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army wordnet
- 5 An enlisted member of a military service, as distinguished from a commissioned officer. countable, formal
"She saw a soldier while collecting her baggage at the airport."
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 A guardsman.
- 7 A member of the Salvation Army.
- 8 A low-ranking gangster or member of a gang, especially the mafia, who engages in physical conflict.
- 9 A piece of buttered bread (or toast), cut into a long thin strip for dipping into a soft-boiled egg. Australia, British, Ireland, New-Zealand
"Beside his egg was a plate of buttered toast, already cut up into soldiers."
- 10 A term of approbation for a young boy.
- 11 Someone who fights or toils well. countable, figuratively
"[L]et 'em know how important it is to have Runyon Avenue soldiers up in our corners; their loyalty to us is worth more than any award is."
- 12 A red or cuckoo gurnard (Chelidonichthys cuculus).
- 13 One of the asexual polymorphic forms of termites, in which the head and jaws are very large and strong. The soldiers serve to defend the nest.
- 14 A red herring (cured kipper with flesh turned red). dated, slang
- 15 A xiangqi piece that moves and captures by advancing one point. Once it has crossed the river, it may also move and capture one point horizontally.
- 16 A brick, for example in a course of brickwork, that is laid vertically on its shortest end (smallest face), so that its tallest and slimmest face faces the outside of the wall.
Verb
- 1 To continue steadfast; to keep striving. intransitive
- 2 serve as a soldier in the military wordnet
- 3 To serve as a soldier. intransitive
- 4 To intentionally restrict labor productivity; to work at the slowest rate that goes unpunished. intransitive
- 5 To take a ride on (another person's horse) without permission. slang, transitive
"It was the first time I had ever “soldiered” a horse. Soldiering means using a horse without the owner's leave or knowledge. Two of our lost horses we never found. Probably some one was soldiering them!"
Proper Noun
- 1 A tiny city in Monona County, Iowa.
- 2 A tiny city in Jackson County, Kansas.
- 3 An unincorporated community and coal town in Carter County, Kentucky.
- 4 An unincorporated community in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The soldier refused to fire his rifle at the enemy."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "soldier"?
Common synonyms include: aggressive, air serviceman, amazon, ant, anzac, archer.
How do you use "soldier" in a sentence?
The soldier refused to fire his rifle at the enemy.
How do you pronounce "soldier"?
Pronounced /ˈsəʊld͡ʒə/.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English soudeour, from Old French soudier or soudeour (“mercenary”), from Medieval Latin soldarius (“soldier (one having pay)”), from Late Latin solidus, a type of coin. Displaced Old English cempa (whence obsolete kemp). (red herring): An allusion to soldiers' red uniforms; red herring is, reciprocally, a slang term for "soldier".