Synonyms

standing army

American

noun

a permanently organized military force maintained by a nation.

standing army British

noun

a permanent army of paid soldiers maintained by a nation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of standing army

First recorded in 1595–1605

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When the Berlin Wall came down and the Soviet Union collapsed, the need for a large standing army seemed like a thing of the past.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Founders worried that the U.S. could be undermined by a powerful standing army.

From The Wall Street Journal

It commits a higher proportion of GDP to defense than any other EU member, and maintains the bloc’s largest standing army.

From The Wall Street Journal

Today the country has its smallest standing army since the Napoleonic wars.

From The Wall Street Journal

Israel has a relatively small standing army and relies on its reservists during times of war.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023