ARMED FORCES

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does armed forces mean? 

• ARMED FORCES (noun)
  The noun ARMED FORCES has 1 sense:

1. the military forces of a nation

  Familiarity information: ARMED FORCES used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ARMED FORCES (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The military forces of a nation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine

Context example:

the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker

Hypernyms ("armed forces" is a kind of...):

force; personnel (group of people willing to obey orders)

Meronyms (members of "armed forces"):

cadre (a nucleus of military personnel capable of expansion)

medic; medical officer (a medical practitioner in the armed forces)

Domain member category:

absence without leave; unauthorized absence (unauthorized military absence)

pullback ((military) the act of pulling back (especially an orderly withdrawal of troops))

retreat ((military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat)

stand-down; standdown ((military) a temporary stop of offensive military action)

disengagement; fallback; pullout (to break off a military action with an enemy)

amphibious landing (a military action of coordinated land, sea, and air forces organized for an invasion)

gun (the discharge of a firearm as signal or as a salute in military ceremonies)

deactivation; inactivation (breaking up a military unit (by transfers or discharges))

countermarch ((military) a march in the reverse direction or back along the same route)

fly-by; flyover; flypast (a flight at a low altitude (usually of military aircraft) over spectators on the ground)

sortie ((military) an operational flight by a single aircraft (as in a military operation))

troop movement (movement of military units to a new location)

war game (a simulation of a military operation intended to train military commanders or to demonstrate a situation or to test a proposed strategy)

militainment (entertainment with military themes in which the Department of Defense is celebrated)

demonstration (a show of military force or preparedness)

national service (compulsory service in the military during peacetime)

fatigue; fatigue duty (labor of a nonmilitary kind done by soldiers (cleaning or digging or draining or so on))

air cover (the use of military aircraft to provide protection against attack by enemy aircraft during ground or naval operations)

military censorship (all types of censorship conducted by personnel of the armed forces)

umbrella (a formation of military planes maintained over ground operations or targets)

logistic assessment (a judgment of the logistic support required for some particular military operation)

drill ((military) the training of soldiers to march (as in ceremonial parades) or to perform the manual of arms)

manual; manual of arms ((military) a prescribed drill in handling a rifle)

military training (training soldiers in military procedures)

basic training (the initial period of training for new military personnel; involves intense physical activity and behavioral discipline)

military drill (training in marching and the use of weapons)

close-order drill ((military) military drill of troops in standard marching (shoulder-to-shoulder))

square-bashing (drill on a barracks square)

action; military action (a military engagement)

battle; conflict; engagement; fight (a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war)

blockade; encirclement (a war measure that isolates some area of importance to the enemy)

defence; defense; defensive measure ((military) military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies)

electronic warfare; EW (military action involving the use of electromagnetic energy to determine or exploit or reduce or prevent hostile use of the electromagnetic spectrum)

military operation; operation (activity by a military or naval force (as a maneuver or campaign))

combined operation (a military operation carried out cooperatively by two or more allied nations or a military operation carried out by coordination of sea, land, and air forces)

police action (a local military action without declaration of war; against violators of international peace and order)

resistance (the military action of resisting the enemy's advance)

maneuver; manoeuvre; simulated military operation (a military training exercise)

armed combat; combat (an engagement fought between two military forces)

campaign; military campaign (several related operations aimed at achieving a particular goal (usually within geographical and temporal constraints))

expedition; hostile expedition; military expedition (a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country)

military mission; mission (an operation that is assigned by a higher headquarters)

sally; sortie (a military action in which besieged troops burst forth from their position)

reenforcement; reinforcement; support (a military operation (often involving new supplies of men and materiel) to strengthen a military force or aid in the performance of its mission)

attack; onrush; onset; onslaught ((military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons))

war; warfare (the waging of armed conflict against an enemy)

assault (close fighting during the culmination of a military attack)

blitz; blitzkrieg (a swift and violent military offensive with intensive aerial bombardment)

infiltration (a process in which individuals (or small groups) penetrate an area (especially the military penetration of enemy positions without detection))

peacekeeping; peacekeeping mission; peacekeeping operation (the activity of keeping the peace by military forces (especially when international military forces enforce a truce between hostile groups or nations))

amphibious operation (a military operation by both land and sea forces)

psychological operation; psyop (military actions designed to influence the perceptions and attitudes of individuals, groups, and foreign governments)

muster call (a call of the names of personnel at a military assembly)

military ceremony (a military custom performed in observance of some event or anniversary)

beleaguering; besieging; military blockade; siege (the action of an armed force that surrounds a fortified place and isolates it while continuing to attack)

nuclear deterrence (the military doctrine that an enemy will be deterred from using nuclear weapons as long as he can be destroyed as a consequence)

countermine ((military) a tunnel dug to defeat similar activities by the enemy)

military control; occupation (the control of a country by military forces of a foreign power)

conscription; draft; muster; selective service (compulsory military service)

court-martial (a trial that is conducted by a military court)

logistic assistance; logistic support (assistance between and within military commands)

inter-service support (action by one military service to provide logistic (or administrative) support to another military service)

air base; air station (a base for military aircraft)

armament (weaponry used by military or naval force)

armored car; armoured car (a military combat vehicle on wheels with light armor (and usually a machine gun))

APC; armored personnel carrier; armoured personnel carrier ((military) an armored vehicle (usually equipped with caterpillar treads) that is used to transport infantry)

armory; armoury; arsenal (a military structure where arms and ammunition and other military equipment are stored and training is given in the use of arms)

assault gun; assault rifle (any of the automatic rifles or semiautomatic rifles with large magazines designed for military use)

attack submarine (a military submarine designed and armed to attack enemy shipping)

B-52 (United States military aircraft; B- stands for bomber)

barrack (a building or group of buildings used to house military personnel)

base; base of operations (installation from which a military force initiates operations)

battle dress (a military uniform designed for field service)

billet (lodging for military personnel (especially in a private home))

bomber (a military aircraft that drops bombs during flight)

boot camp (camp for training military recruits)

caisson (a two-wheeled military vehicle carrying artillery ammunition)

bivouac; camp; cantonment; encampment (temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers)

command post; general headquarters; GHQ (military headquarters from which a military commander controls and organizes the forces)

commissary (a retail store that sells equipment and provisions (usually to military personnel))

aid station; dressing station ((military) a station located near a combat area for giving first aid to the wounded)

dress uniform (a military uniform worn on formal occasions)

emplacement (military installation consisting of a prepared position for siting a weapon)

fatigues (military uniform worn by military personnel when doing menial labor)

field hospital (a temporary military hospital near the battle lines)

attack aircraft; fighter; fighter aircraft (a high-speed military or naval airplane designed to destroy enemy aircraft in the air)

fire control radar (naval radar that controls the delivery of fire on a military target)

fire control system (naval weaponry consisting of a system for controlling the delivery of fire on a military target)

full-dress uniform (the naval or military uniform that is specified by regulations to be worn on ceremonial occasions)

fort; garrison (a fortified military post where troops are stationed)

gas shell ((military) bomb consisting of an explosive projectile filled with a toxic gas that is released when the bomb explodes)

guardhouse (a military facility that serves as the headquarters for military police and in which military prisoners can be detained)

gun room (military quarters of midshipmen and junior officers on a British warship)

half track (a motor vehicle propelled by half tracks; frequently used by the military)

hardware (major items of military weaponry (as tanks or missile))

headquarters; HQ; military headquarters (the military installation from which a commander performs the functions of command)

hospital train (a military train built to transport wounded troops to a hospital)

army hut; field hut; hut (temporary military shelter)

hutment (an encampment of huts (chiefly military))

latrine (a public toilet in a military area)

equipage; materiel (equipment and supplies of a military force)

mess; mess hall (a (large) military dining room where service personnel eat or relax)

military hospital (hospital for soldiers and other military personnel)

military installation (any facility servicing military forces)

military post; post (military installation at which a body of troops is stationed)

military quarters (living quarters for personnel on a military post)

military uniform (prescribed identifying uniform for soldiers)

military vehicle (vehicle used by the armed forces)

minute gun ((military) gun that is discharged once every minute (usually as part of a military funeral))

naval installation; shore station (military installation servicing naval forces)

naval shipyard; navy yard (a military shipyard)

olive-drab uniform; olive drab (military uniform of the United States Army; made from cloth of a dull olive color)

outpost (a military post stationed at a distance from the main body of troops)

personnel carrier (a military vehicle (usually armored) for transporting military personnel and their equipment)

picket (a vehicle performing sentinel duty)

platform; weapons platform (any military structure or vehicle bearing weapons)

quartering (living accommodations (especially those assigned to military personnel))

reconnaissance plane (a military airplane used to gain information about an enemy)

reconnaissance vehicle; scout car (fast armored military vehicle with four-wheel drive and open top)

redoubt ((military) a temporary or supplementary fortification; typically square or polygonal without flanking defenses)

regimentals (the military uniform and insignia of a regiment)

rocket base (a military base for rocket missiles)

silo (military installation consisting of an underground structure where ballistic missiles can be stored and fired)

smoke screen; smokescreen ((military) screen consisting of a cloud of smoke that obscures movements)

precision rifle; sniper rifle (an extremely powerful rifle developed for the military; capable of destroying light armored vehicles and aircraft more than a mile away)

armored combat vehicle; armoured combat vehicle; army tank; tank (an enclosed armored military vehicle; has a cannon and moves on caterpillar treads)

transport ship (a ship for carrying soldiers or military equipment)

troop carrier; troop transport (any land or sea or air vehicle designed to carry troops)

wardroom (military quarters for dining and recreation for officers of a warship (except the captain))

military plane; warplane (an aircraft designed and used for combat)

combat ship; war vessel; warship (a government ship that is available for waging war)

W.M.D.; weapon of mass destruction; WMD (a weapon that kills or injures civilian as well as military personnel (nuclear and chemical and biological weapons))

weapons carrier (military vehicle that is a light truck designed to carry mortars or machine guns and their crews)

sea power (naval strength)

attention (a motionless erect stance with arms at the sides and feet together; assumed by military personnel during drill or review)

military capability; military posture; military strength; posture; strength (capability in terms of personnel and materiel that affect the capacity to fight a war)

firepower ((military) the relative capacity for delivering fire on a target)

generalship (the leadership ability of a military general)

military science (the discipline dealing with the principles of warfare)

tactics (the branch of military science dealing with detailed maneuvers to achieve objectives set by strategy)

strategy (the branch of military science dealing with military command and the planning and conduct of a war)

commission; military commission (an official document issued by a government and conferring on the recipient the rank of an officer in the armed forces)

muster roll (a list of names of officers and men in a military unit or ship's company)

military greeting; salute (a formal military gesture of respect)

military intelligence (information about the armed forces of another country that is useful in planning and conducting military policy or military operations)

liberty chit; pass (a permit to enter or leave a military installation)

lights-out; taps ((military) signal to turn the lights out)

reveille; wake-up signal ((military) signal to wake up)

retreat ((military) a bugle call signaling the lowering of the flag at sunset)

retreat ((military) a signal to begin a withdrawal from a dangerous position)

drumbeat ((military) the beating of a drum as a signal for lowering the flag at sundown)

tattoo (a drumbeat or bugle call that signals the military to return to their quarters)

insignia of rank (an insignia worn on a military uniform)

order ((often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed)

call up (an order to report for military duty)

briefing (detailed instructions, as for a military operation)

strategic warning ((military) a warning prior to the start of a threatening act)

tactical warning ((military) a warning after the initiation of a hostile act)

warning of attack (a warning to national policy makers that an enemy intends to launch an attack in the near future)

warning of war (a warning to national policy makers that an enemy intends war or is preparing for war and is on a course that increases the risk of war)

chevron; grade insignia; stripe; stripes (V-shaped sleeve badge indicating military rank and service)

stripe (a piece of braid, usually on the sleeve, indicating military rank or length of service)

damage; equipment casualty (loss of military equipment)

battle damage; combat casualty (loss of military equipment in battle)

operational casualty; operational damage (loss of military equipment in field operations)

casualty (a decrease of military personnel or equipment)

combat injury; injury; wound (a casualty to military personnel resulting from combat)

loss; personnel casualty (military personnel lost by death or capture)

collateral damage ((euphemism) inadvertent casualties and destruction inflicted on civilians in the course of military operations)

military ceremony (a formal ceremony performed by military personnel)

trip wire (a small military force that serves as a first line of defense; if they become engaged in hostilities it will trigger the intervention of stronger military forces)

Joint Chiefs; Joint Chiefs of Staff (the executive agency that advises the President on military questions; composed of the chiefs of the United States Army and the United States Navy and the United States Air Force and the commandant of the United States Marine Corps)

command (a military unit or region under the control of a single officer)

task force (a temporary military unit formed to accomplish a particular objective)

army unit (a military unit that is part of an army)

army; ground forces; regular army (a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state)

naval unit (a military unit that is part of a navy)

naval forces; navy (an organization of military vessels belonging to a country and available for sea warfare)

coastguard (a military service responsible for the safety of maritime traffic in coastal waters)

Marines (members of a body of troops trained to serve on land or at sea)

air unit (a military unit that is part of the airforce)

air force; airforce (the airborne branch of a country's armed forces)

armor; armour (a military unit consisting of armored fighting vehicles)

armed service; military service; service (a force that is a branch of the armed forces)

force; military force; military group; military unit (a unit that is part of some military service)

military reserve; reserve (armed forces that are not on active duty but can be called in an emergency)

Pentagon (the United States military establishment)

military police; MP (a military corps that enforces discipline and guards prisoners)

shore patrol (the military police of the navy)

company (small military unit; usually two or three platoons)

platoon (a military unit that is a subdivision of a company; usually has a headquarters and two or more squads; usually commanded by a lieutenant)

rearguard (a detachment assigned to protect the rear of a (retreating) military body)

wing (a unit of military aircraft)

echelon (a body of troops arranged in a line)

phalanx (a body of troops in close array)

military academy (an academy for training military officers)

naval academy (an academy for training naval officers)

air force academy (an academy for training air force officers)

drumhead court-martial (a military court convened to hear urgent charges of offenses committed in action)

court-martial (a military court to try members of the armed services who are accused of serious breaches of martial law)

military court (a judicial court of commissioned officers for the discipline and punishment of military personnel)

provost court (a military court for trying people charged with minor offenses in an occupied area)

Defense Intelligence Agency; DIA (an intelligence agency of the United States in the Department of Defense; is responsible for providing intelligence in support of military planning and operations and weapons acquisition)

artillery; artillery unit (an army unit that uses big guns)

musketry (musketeers and their muskets collectively)

battery (group of guns or missile launchers operated together at one place)

cavalry (a highly mobile army unit)

horse cavalry (an army unit mounted on horseback)

mechanized cavalry (an armored unit of a modern army equipped with motor vehicles)

foot; infantry (an army unit consisting of soldiers who fight on foot)

paratroops (infantry trained and equipped to parachute)

militia; reserves (civilians trained as soldiers but not part of the regular army)

militia (the entire body of physically fit civilians eligible by law for military service)

home guard (a volunteer unit formed to defend the homeland while the regular army is fighting elsewhere)

territorial; territorial reserve (a territorial military unit)

home reserve; National Guard (United States military reserves recruited by the states and equipped by the federal government; subject to call by either)

standing army (a permanent army of paid soldiers)

Army; U. S. Army; United States Army; US Army; USA (the army of the United States of America; the agency that organizes and trains soldiers for land warfare)

United States Army Rangers (a specially trained elite unit of the United States Army)

United States Military Academy; US Military Academy (a school for training men and women to become officers in the United States Army)

AI; Army Intelligence (an agency of the United States Army responsible for providing timely and relevant and accurate and synchronized intelligence to tactical and operational and strategic level commanders)

Army National Guard; ARNG (a civilian reserve component of the United States Army comprised of guardsmen who serve during overseas peacekeeping missions and during local emergencies)

military personnel; soldiery; troops (soldiers collectively)

friendly (troops belonging to or allied with your own military forces)

hostile (troops belonging to the enemy's military forces)

cavalry; horse; horse cavalry (troops trained to fight on horseback)

garrison (the troops who maintain and guard a fortified place)

rank; rank and file (the ordinary members of an organization (such as the enlisted soldiers of an army))

commando (an amphibious military unit trained for raids into enemy territory)

contingent; detail (a temporary military unit)

general staff (military officers assigned to assist a senior officer in planning military policy)

headquarters ((plural) a military unit consisting of a commander and the headquarters staff)

headquarters staff (military staff stationed at headquarters)

high command; supreme headquarters (the highest leaders in an organization (e.g. the commander-in-chief and senior officers of the military))

spearhead (the leading military unit in an attack)

firing party; firing squad (a squad formed to fire volleys at a military funeral or to carry out a military execution)

military formation (a formation of troops)

open order (a military formation leaving enough space between ranks to allow an inspecting officer to pass)

close order (a military formation for drill or marching)

extended order (a military formation for skirmishing; as widely separated as the tactical situation permits)

sick call; sick parade (the daily military formation at which individuals report to the medical officer as sick)

column (a line of units following one after another)

chow line (a queue of people waiting for food to be served (especially at a military camp))

air power; aviation (the aggregation of a country's military aircraft)

martial law (the body of law imposed by the military over civilian affairs (usually in time of war or civil crisis); overrides civil law)

military law (the body of laws and rules of conduct administered by military courts for the discipline, trial, and punishment of military personnel)

muster (a gathering of military personnel for duty)

center (the middle of a military or naval formation)

flank; wing (the side of military or naval formation)

head (the front of a military formation or procession)

rear (the back of a military formation or procession)

minefield (a region in which explosives mines have been placed)

field; field of operations; theater; theater of operations; theatre; theatre of operations (a region in which active military operations are in progress)

line (a fortified position (especially one marking the most forward position of troops))

line of battle (a line formed by troops or ships prepared to deliver or receive an attack)

salient ((military) the part of the line of battle that projects closest to the enemy)

battle line (the line along which warring troops meet)

military position; position (a point occupied by troops for tactical reasons)

staging area (an area where troops and equipment in transit are assembled before a military operation)

sector (a portion of a military position)

combat area; combat zone (a military area where combat forces operate)

war zone (a combat zone where military operations are coordinated (especially a designated area in international waters where the rights of neutrals are not respected by nations at war))

drop zone; dropping zone (an agreed area where military supplies are dropped to ground troops)

West Point (United States Army installation on the west bank of Hudson river to the north of New York City; site of United States Military Academy)

ensign (a person who holds a commissioned rank in the United States Navy or the United States Coast Guard; below lieutenant junior grade)

adjutant; aide; aide-de-camp (an officer who acts as military assistant to a more senior officer)

air attache (a military attache who is a commissioned or warrant officer in an air force)

army attache (a military attache who is a commissioned or warrant officer in an army)

army engineer; military engineer (a member of the military who is trained in engineering and construction work)

army officer (an officer in the armed forces)

bandsman (a player in a band (especially a military band))

brass hat (a high-ranking military officer)

cadet; plebe (a military trainee (as at a military academy))

captain; skipper (the naval officer in command of a military ship)

captain (an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant)

casualty (someone injured or killed or captured or missing in a military engagement)

chief of staff (the senior officer of a service of the armed forces)

chief petty officer (a person with the senior noncommissioned naval rank)

colonel (a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general)

color bearer; standard-bearer (the soldier who carries the standard of the unit in military parades or in battle)

combat pilot (airplane pilot who fights in an action between two military forces)

commander (a commissioned naval officer who ranks above a lieutenant commander and below a captain)

commandant; commander; commanding officer (an officer in command of a military unit)

commando; ranger (a member of a military unit trained as shock troops for hit-and-run raids)

commissioned officer (a military officer holding a commission)

commissioned military officer (a commissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marine Corps)

commissioned naval officer (a commissioned officer in the navy)

commodore (a commissioned naval officer who ranks above a captain and below a rear admiral; the lowest grade of admiral)

defense contractor (a contractor concerned with the development and manufacture of systems of defense)

defector; deserter (a person who abandons their duty (as on a military post))

desk officer (a military officer who is not assigned to active duty)

conscript; draftee; inductee (someone who is drafted into military service)

drill instructor; drill master (a noncommissioned officer who instructs recruits in military marching and discipline)

enemy; foe; foeman; opposition (an armed adversary (especially a member of an opposing military force))

executive officer (the officer second in command)

field marshal (an officer holding the highest rank in the army)

field-grade officer; field officer; FO (an officer holding the rank of major or lieutenant colonel or colonel)

fighter pilot (a military or naval pilot of fighter planes)

flag officer (a senior naval officer above the rank of captain)

flanker (a soldier who is a member of a detachment assigned to guard the flanks of a military formation)

full general; general (a general officer of the highest rank)

general officer (officers in the Army or Air Force or Marines above the rank of colonel)

inspector general (a military officer responsible for investigations)

judge advocate (a staff officer serving as legal adviser to a military commander)

judge advocate (an officer assigned to the judge advocate general)

judge advocate general (the senior legal advisor to a branch of the military)

lieutenant (a commissioned military officer)

lieutenant (an officer holding a commissioned rank in the United States Navy or the United States Coast Guard; below lieutenant commander and above lieutenant junior grade)

lieutenant colonel; light colonel (a commissioned officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines holding a rank above major and below colonel)

lieutenant commander (a commissioned officer in the Navy ranking above a lieutenant and below a commander)

lieutenant general (a general officer ranking above a major general and below a full general)

lieutenant JG; lieutenant junior grade (an officer holding a commissioned rank in the United States Navy or United States Coast Guard; below lieutenant and above ensign)

major (a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines; below lieutenant colonel and above captain)

major-general (a general officer ranking above a brigadier general and below a lieutenant general)

devil dog; leatherneck; Marine; shipboard soldier (a member of the United States Marine Corps)

marine engineer; naval engineer (a naval officer responsible for the operation and maintenance of the ship's engines)

marshal; marshall ((in some countries) a military officer of highest rank)

midshipman (a temporary rank held by young naval officers in training)

military adviser; military advisor (a military officer who serves as an adviser to the troops of an allied nation)

Holy Joe; military chaplain; padre; sky pilot (a chaplain in one of the military services)

military leader (a leader of military forces)

military officer; officer (any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command)

military policeman; MP (a member of the military police who polices soldiers and guards prisoners)

naval attache (a military attache who is a commissioned or warrant officer in a navy)

naval commander (naval officer in command of a fleet of warships)

naval officer (an officer in the navy)

Navy SEAL; SEAL (a member of a Naval Special Warfare unit who is trained for unconventional warfare)

enlisted officer; noncom; noncommissioned officer (a military officer appointed from enlisted personnel)

occupier (a member of a military force who is residing in a conquered foreign country)

peacekeeper (a member of a military force that is assigned (often with international sanction) to preserve peace in a trouble area)

provost marshal (the supervisor of the military police)

reservist (a member of a military reserve)

sapper (a military engineer who does sapping (digging trenches or undermining fortifications))

Section Eight (a soldier who received a Section Eight discharge as unfit for military service)

man; military man; military personnel; serviceman (someone who serves in the armed forces; a member of a military force)

shirker; slacker (a person who shirks his work or duty (especially one who tries to evade military service in wartime))

sprog (a new military recruit)

spy; undercover agent ((military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors)

staff officer (a commissioned officer assigned to a military commander's staff)

striker (someone receiving intensive training for a naval technical rating)

subaltern (a British commissioned army officer below the rank of captain)

territorial (nonprofessional soldier member of a territorial military unit)

military volunteer; voluntary; volunteer ((military) a person who freely enlists for service)

warrant officer (holds rank by virtue of a warrant)

weekend warrior (a reservist who fulfills the military obligation on weekends)

foreign aid (aid (such as economic or military assistance) provided to one nation by another)

government issue; issue; military issue (supplies (as food or clothing or ammunition) issued by the government)

preparation; preparedness; readiness (the state of having been made ready or prepared for use or action (especially military action))

military rank; military rating; paygrade; rating (rank in a military organization)

flag rank (the rank of a flag officer)

spit and polish (careful attention to order and appearance (as in the military))

pass ((military) a written leave of absence)

compassionate leave ((military) leave granted in an emergency such as family sickness or death)

field day ((military) a day for military exercises and display)

mess (eat in a mess hall)

break (make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing)

detach (separate (a small unit) from a larger, especially for a special assignment)

billet; canton; quarter (provide housing for (military personnel))

activated ((military) set up and placed on active assignment)

armed ((used of persons or the military) characterized by having or bearing arms)

unarmed ((used of persons or the military) not having or using arms)

armored; armoured (protected by armor (used of persons or things military))

unarmored; unarmoured ((used of persons or things military) without protective armor)

accoutered; accoutred (provided with necessary articles of equipment for a specialized purpose (especially military))

expeditionary ((used of military forces) designed for military operations abroad)

operational ((military) of or intended for or involved in military operations)

active; combat-ready; fighting (engaged in or ready for military or naval operations)

effective (ready for service)

inactive; nonoperational ((military) not involved in military operations)

regular ((used of the military) belonging to or engaged in by legitimate army forces)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "armed forces"):

military reserve; reserve (armed forces that are not on active duty but can be called in an emergency)

 Context examples 

The armed forces of a country.

(Military, NCI Thesaurus)