What does "troop" mean?
A collection of people; a number; a multitude (in general).
Troop
/tɹuːp/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A collection of people; a number; a multitude (in general).
- Grammar: troop is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: flock, age group, ambulate, armed forces.
- Useful contrasts: disperse, individual, one performer.
- Usage evidence: The membership of the Boy Scout troop swelled.
How to use "troop"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "troop" 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 "troop" 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 "troop" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "troop" 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 "troop" is acting as name, noun, verb 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 "flock" 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 "troop", 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 collection of people; a number; a multitude (in general). collective
"That which should accompany old age — / As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends — / I must not look to have."
- 2 a group of soldiers wordnet
- 3 A small unit of cavalry or armour commanded by a captain, corresponding to a platoon or company of infantry.
- 4 a cavalry unit corresponding to an infantry company wordnet
- 5 A detachment of soldiers or police, especially horse artillery, armour, or state troopers.
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 an orderly crowd wordnet
- 7 A group of soldiers; military forces. in-plural
"Ah, knovv you not the Citie fauours them, / And they haue troupes of Souldiers at their beck?"
- 8 a unit of Girl or Boy Scouts wordnet
- 9 An individual soldier or member of a military force; a trooper. nonstandard
"One American M48 was slightly grazed and one American troop lightly wounded."
- 10 A company of actors; a troupe. nonstandard
"In order to form the new troop to a greater degree of perfection, the four principal actors were placed in the seminary of the cadets"
- 11 A chapter of a national girl or boy scouts organization, consisting of one or more patrols of 6 to 8 youngsters each.
"Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell (1920), Aids To Scoutmastership, page 6: “It is the Patrol System that makes the Troop, and all Scouting for that matter, a real co-operative effort.”"
- 12 A group of monkeys. collective
- 13 A group of meerkat families living together.
- 14 A particular roll of the drum; a quick march.
- 15 A group of mushrooms that are close but not close enough to be called a cluster.
Verb
- 1 To move in numbers; to come or gather in crowds or troops.
"Then everybody once more knelt, and soon the blessing was pronounced. The choir and the clergy trooped out slowly, […], down the nave to the western door. […] At a seemingly immense distance the surpliced group stopped to say the last prayer."
- 2 move or march as if in a crowd wordnet
- 3 To march on; to go forward in haste.
- 4 march in a procession in a public place wordnet
- 5 To move or march as if in a crowd.
"The children trooped into the room."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The membership of the Boy Scout troop swelled."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "troop"?
Common synonyms include: flock, age group, ambulate, armed forces, army, army group.
How do you use "troop" in a sentence?
The membership of the Boy Scout troop swelled.
How do you pronounce "troop"?
Pronounced /tɹuːp/.
Etymology
Attested in English since 1545, from French troupe, from Back-formation from troupeau, from Middle French trope, troupe, from Old French trope, trupe, of unknown origin. Doublet of troupe, and possibly also of thorp, dorp, and trip. Cognate with German Dorf (“village”).