Military: English Vocabulary List

the highest-ranking officer in a fleet

"The admiral commands fleet."

"The admiral commanded the fleet of warships during the naval exercise in the Atlantic."

a high-ranking officer in the army, marine corps, or air force, whose rank is between a lieutenant colonel and brigadier general

"The colonel commanded his regiment with distinction."

"The colonel has served in the army for over thirty years and commands great respect from his soldiers."

to murder a prominent figure in a sudden attack, usually for political purposes

"The assassin tried to assassinate the leader."

"The secret service foiled a plot to assassinate the political leader just hours before the public event was scheduled to begin."

(of a state) to organize and prepare for a military operation

"The nation mobilizes for war."

"The government quickly mobilized the army to help rescue victims of the devastating earthquake that struck the region."

a person who participates in irregular fighting as a member of an unofficial military group

"The guerrilla fighters hid in the jungle and attacked at night."

"A guerrilla is an irregular combatant who uses hit-and-run tactics against a larger conventional army"

a military group consisting of civilians who have been trained as soldiers to help the army in emergencies

"The militia trained every weekend."

"A militia is a military force composed of ordinary citizens rather than professional soldiers"

displaying violent acts for the sake of a social or political aim

"The group is militant."

"The militant group carried out several attacks on government buildings and the army was sent to the region to restore order."

relating to the armed forces that operate at seas or waters in general

"He joined naval forces."

"The naval base is home to several warships and thousands of sailors who protect the country's interests at sea."

designed or used in a way that provides a person or thing with protection against attack

"The castle is defensive."

"The defensive player blocked the shot and passed the ball to his teammate who scored the winning goal in the final minute."

a nuclear weapon with great destruction power which is released due to the fission of heavy atoms

"History lessons discussed the devastating A-bomb"

"The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima caused unprecedented destruction and loss of human life."

a long gun suitable for shooting a target over long distances, which is held along shoulder while aiming the target

"The rifle fired loudly."

"The soldier carried a rifle and kept it clean to prevent jamming during combat."

a surprise attack against a place or a group of people

"The police raid arrested several suspects."

"The police conducted a surprise raid on the building and arrested several people for drug dealing."

an order or law that prohibits people from going outside after a specific time, particularly at night

"Curfew starts at night."

"The city imposed a curfew requiring everyone to stay indoors after eight in the evening."

someone held prisoner by a person or group who will be set free if the demands of that person or group are met

"The hostage was freed yesterday."

"The bank robber took three employees hostage during the attempted robbery and threatened to hurt them."

an agreement according to which enemies or opponents stop fighting each other for a specific period of time

"The truce lasted long."

"The two warring factions agreed to a temporary truce to allow humanitarian aid delivery."

a gun that automatically and rapidly fires a succession of bullets upon pressing the trigger

"The machine gun fired."

"The machine gun fired rapidly forcing the soldiers to keep their heads down for cover."

the action of transferring people or being transferred to somewhere else to be safe from a dangerous situation

"The evacuation saved many lives."

"An evacuation is the urgent withdrawal of people from a dangerous place to a safer location"

(of a person) not attending a place one was supposed to or leaving an obligation without any notice or permission

"The student was AWOL."

"The soldier went AWOL for three days and he was court martialed and sentenced to thirty days of hard labor."

a tube-like weapon through which an arrow is shot if someone breathes in it forcefully

"The blowgun is silent."

"The indigenous hunter used a blowgun to shoot darts tipped with poison from a distance."

an automatic gun that is not heavy and can be easily held and carried by hand

"Submachine gun is powerful."

"The submachine gun is compact and ideal for close quarters combat situations."

to send a person to a particular place in order to carry out a duty, particularly a military person

"They station guards here."

"The army decided to station additional troops near the border to prevent any future attacks from enemy forces."

big heavy guns that are attached on top of moving wheels or tracks

"The artillery shelled the enemy positions all through the night."

"Artillery is a class of heavy long-range weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range of infantry firearms"

a nuclear weapon of a country that is very powerful and serves as a protection against other countries' attacks

"The country strengthened its nuclear deterrent strategy"

"The country maintains a nuclear deterrent to prevent attacks from hostile nations."

a poisonous chemical that is damaging to the nervous system and is used as a war weapon

"Authorities discovered traces of a nerve agent"

"The poison was identified as a deadly nerve agent developed for chemical warfare purposes."

a toxic chemical substance that interferes with the normal functioning of the nervous system

"Soldiers trained for possible nerve gas attacks"

"Nerve gas attacks the nervous system causing rapid death within minutes of exposure."

used as a confirmation message in radio communication to indicate that a message has been received and understood

"Roger, I got your message."

"Roger. I received your message loud and clear. Over and out."

a radio code used in two-way radio communication as an affirmative response or an indication of understanding

"Ten-four, I understand clearly."

"Ten-four. I understand everything you said. No problem at all."

a situation where the military becomes in charge of a country, replacing regular laws with their own rule, in order to maintain order during times of crisis or disturbance

"The government declared martial law immediately"

"The government declared martial law after the coup giving the military complete control."

an extremely brutal act, especially in war

"The atrocity of the crime shocked the entire world community."

"The survivors described the atrocity they had witnessed during the terrible war."

a high-ranking officer in the army, Air Force, or Marines

"He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General."

"The general outlined the strategic plan for the upcoming military offensive against the enemy."

a middle-ranking officer in the armed forces

"The major gave orders."

"The major commanded his troops to advance towards the enemy lines."

a former member of the armed forces who has fought in a war

"My grandfather is a veteran of the Second World War."

"The elderly veteran proudly wore his medals from the war."

to violently damage or destroy something using explosives

"They blast the wall."

"The demolition crew will blast the old building to make way for new construction."

to cause something to explode

"Terrorists blow up the train station bridge."

"The terrorist tried to blow up the bridge with a bomb but the police discovered it before it could explode."

to drop bombs on someone or something continuously

"The planes bombarded the enemy base."

"The enemy forces began to bombard the city with heavy artillery shells causing widespread destruction and panic among civilians."

to attack violently and suddenly in a battle

"They charge the enemy."

"The cavalry was ordered to charge the opposing forces with great speed and ferocity."

to gain control of a place or people using armed forces

"They conquer the land."

"The victorious army managed to conquer the entire kingdom within a year."

to position soldiers or equipment for military action

"The general deployed thousands of troops."

"The general ordered his troops to deploy along the border to prevent any further incursions by the hostile neighboring country's military forces."

(of armed forces) to empty a dangerous place

"They must evacuate now."

"The military ordered the civilians to evacuate the coastal town due to the impending storm."

to kill someone, especially as a legal penalty

"Execute the prisoner."

"The soldiers were ordered to execute the traitor immediately after the court martial found him guilty of betraying his country during the war."

to give up resistance or stop fighting against an enemy or opponent

"The army surrendered to the enemy."

"The enemy general finally agreed to surrender his troops after a long siege left his army with no food or ammunition remaining."

(of military) to move away in order to escape the danger because one has been defeated or is weak

"The army will retreat from battle."

"The army was forced to retreat from the battlefield after suffering heavy casualties and running low on ammunition."

relating to a person who is not a member of the military or police force and does not hold an official position in the government

"She has a civilian job."

"The civilian population was warned to evacuate before the bombing began and most people fled to safer areas in the countryside."

having the potential to cause sudden and violent release of energy or force

"The material is explosive."

"The explosive device was found near the school and the bomb squad was called to dispose of it safely."

a group of naval vessels organized as a single fighting or operational unit

"The Spanish fleet sailed for England."

"The Spanish Armada was a fleet of one hundred thirty ships sent to invade England."

the act of making someone suffer very much so that they do what one wants

"International laws strictly prohibit torture everywhere"

"International law prohibits torture under any circumstances even during times of war."

the act of invading and controlling a country, city, etc.

"The occupation was brutal."

"The prolonged military occupation of the small nation caused widespread suffering and resistance."

a long narrow hole dug in the ground in which soldiers move and are protected from enemy fire

"The soldiers dug a deep trench to protect themselves from enemy fire."

"Heavy rain flooded the trench and made it nearly impossible for soldiers to move."

to provide individuals or groups with weapons, ensuring they have the necessary equipment for defense or offense

"The rebels arm themselves with various weapons."

"The rebels managed to arm themselves with weapons smuggled across the border from the neighboring country."

involvement in war, particularly using certain methods or weapons

"Modern warfare depends heavily on advanced technology"

"Modern warfare increasingly relies on drones and cyber attacks rather than ground troops."

an order, particularly given by someone in a position of authority

"The command was clear."

"The captain issued a direct command to advance, leaving no room for hesitation."

(of a soldier) having left one's military duty without being permitted to do so

"He went awol."

"The soldier was declared awol after failing to report for duty without any explanation."

the exact location of a nuclear explosion

"This is ground zero."

"Investigators meticulously examined the area around ground zero for any residual radioactive material."

a member of an armed force who is specifically trained to fire large guns

"The gunner aimed carefully."

"The gunner aimed carefully at the enemy position before pulling the trigger decisively."

the part of a gun containing its bullets

"The magazine was empty."

"He quickly reloaded the firearm, inserting a fresh magazine with practiced efficiency."

to make someone leave the armed forces or police and relieving them from their duties

"They discharge the soldier."

"The captain decided to discharge the private for insubordination and repeated rule-breaking."