- [countable + singular or plural verb] a large organized group of soldiers who are trained to fight on land
- The two opposing armies faced each other across the battlefield.
- He commanded the army of occupation after the war.
- Harold's exhausted army was/were defeated after nine hours of fighting.
Extra Examples- A huge army marched on the city.
- He led the army into battle.
- He marched a foreign army into the capital.
- The army was finally defeated in the autumn.
- The emperor was deposed and his army disbanded.
- The king was unable to raise an army.
- The taxes were used to maintain a standing army of around 55 000 troops.
- Their city fell victim to an invading army.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- great
- huge
- large
- …
- have
- enter
- go into
- …
- gather
- advance
- march
- …
- captain
- chief of staff
- colonel
- …
- in the army
- the army[singular + singular or plural verb] the part of a country’s armed forces that fights on land
- in the army Her sister is in the army.
- After leaving school, Mike went into the army.
- He joined the army at the age of 16.
- an army officer/chief
- army barracks/bases
- He served in the French army during the First World War.
- The army is/are now being deployed.
Collocations War and peaceWar and peaceStarting a war- declare/make/wage war (on somebody/something)
- go to war (against/with somebody)
- cause/spark/provoke/foment/quell unrest
- incite/lead/crush/suppress a revolt/rebellion
- launch/mount/carry out a surprise/terrorist attack
- prevent/halt/represent an escalation of the conflict
- be torn apart by/be on the brink of civil war
- enter/invade/occupy somebody’s territory
- lead/launch/resist/repel an invasion
- adopt/develop/implement/pursue a military strategy
- carry out/execute/perform military operations/manoeuvres
- send/deploy/station/pull back/withdraw troops
- go on/fly/carry out a reconnaissance/rescue mission
- train/equip/deploy army/military/combat units
- lead/launch/conduct a raid/a surprise attack/an (air/airborne/amphibious) assault (on somebody)
- employ/use guerrilla tactics
- conduct/wage biological/guerrilla warfare
- fight/crush/defeat the rebels/the insurgency
- suffer/inflict a crushing defeat
- achieve/win a decisive victory
- halt/stop the British/German/Russian advance
- order/force a retreat
- join/serve in the army/navy/air force
- be/go/remain/serve on active duty
- serve/complete/return from a tour of duty
- be sent to the front (line)
- attack/strike/engage/defeat/kill/destroy the enemy
- see/report/be engaged in heavy fighting
- call for/be met with armed resistance
- come under heavy/machine-gun/mortar fire
- fire a machine-gun/mortar shells/rockets (at somebody/something)
- shoot a rifle/a pistol/bullets/missiles
- launch/fire a cruise/ballistic/anti-tank missile
- use biological/chemical/nuclear weapons
- inflict/suffer/sustain heavy losses/casualties
- be hit/killed by enemy/friendly/artillery fire
- become/be held as a prisoner of war
- harm/kill/target/protect innocent/unarmed civilians
- cause/avoid/limit/minimize civilian casualties/collateral damage
- impose/enforce/lift a curfew
- engage in/be a victim of ethnic cleansing
- be sent to an internment/a concentration camp
- accept/house/resettle refugees fleeing from war
- fear/threaten military/violent reprisals
- commit/be accused of war crimes/crimes against humanity/genocide
- make/bring/win/achieve/maintain/promote peace
- call for/negotiate/broker/declare a ceasefire/a temporary truce
- sign a ceasefire agreement
- call for/bring/put an end to hostilities
- demand/negotiate/accept the surrender of somebody/something
- establish/send (in) a peacekeeping force
- negotiate/conclude/ratify/sign/accept/reject/break/violate a peace treaty
Culture the armed forcesthe armed forcesThe British armed forces, sometimes called the services, consist of the Army, the Royal Navy (RN), and the Royal Air Force (RAF). The Queen or King is Commander-in-Chief of all three services, but responsibility for their management lies with the Ministry of Defence (MOD), which is headed by the Secretary of State for Defence. The Army is the largest of the three services and the Royal Navy the smallest. The Navy is the service with the longest history and is sometimes known as the Senior Service. The Joint Rapid Reaction Force includes all three services. The regular forces are supported when necessary by the Regular Reserve, who are former members of the regular forces, and the Volunteer Reserve Forces, people who train in their free time with the Army Reserve, the Royal Air Force Reserves, or the Royal Naval Reserve. In the US the President is Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces and the Secretary of Defense is responsible for their management. The Joint Chiefs of Staff are the military leaders of the four services, the Army, Navy, Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, which are supported when necessary by the reserve forces, the US Army Reserve, the National Guard and the Navy Reserve. The Army is the service with the longest history. Four of its leaders became President: George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S Grant and Dwight D Eisenhower.Extra ExamplesTopics War and conflicta2- He was in command of the British Army in Egypt.
- The German army entered Austria in March 1938.
- The French army was deployed in the Western Desert.
- those who fought the Soviet army in Afghanistan
- He grew up on an army base in the 1960s.
- The companies recruit mostly retired army personnel.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- great
- huge
- large
- …
- have
- enter
- go into
- …
- gather
- advance
- march
- …
- captain
- chief of staff
- colonel
- …
- in the army
- [countable + singular or plural verb] a large number of people or things, especially when they are organized in some way or involved in a particular activity
- an army of advisers/volunteers
- An army of ants marched across the path.
- An army of technicians was/were on hand to assist.
Extra Examples- a vast army of personnel
- There was an army of technicians ready to help.
- The singer was surrounded by a veritable army of reporters.
- NASA maintains a small army of engineers.
- He created an army of loyal customers.
- He travels with an army of personal assistants and stylists.
- He argued that unemployment created a useful reserve army of labour.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- vast
- veritable
- small
- …
- create
- employ
- hire
- …
- army of
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French armee, from armata, feminine past participle of Latin armare ‘to arm’.
Check pronunciation:
army