# army

/ˈɑɹmi/ (US) · /ˈɑːmi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/army
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. military force

noun · CEFR A2

a large, organized group of soldiers who are trained to fight on land.

For teachers: a large, highly organized military force primarily concerned with ground operations.

- The army marched for three days before reaching the border.
- The national army was deployed to the flooded regions to assist with emergency evacuations and provide medical supplies to stranded residents.

Usage: Usually takes a singular verb in American English and can take either a singular or plural verb in British English.

### 2. large group of people

noun · CEFR B2

a very large group of people who are organized for a specific purpose.

For teachers: a large multitude of people organized for a common goal or task.

- An army of volunteers arrived to help clean up the park after the festival.
- The tech company hired an army of lawyers to protect its patents against international competitors.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'of'.

### 3. group of animals

noun · CEFR B2

a large group of social animals, like ants, that move or work together.

For teachers: a large, organized group of social animals, typically insects, acting in concert.

- We watched an army of ants carrying crumbs back to their nest.
- The documentary followed an army of caterpillars as they stripped the leaves from an entire grove of trees within days.

### 4. BTS fans

noun · CEFR B1 · Slang · Informal

the name for the global group of fans of the K-pop band BTS.

For teachers: The collective fandom of the South Korean boy band BTS. Often capitalized as 'ARMY'.

- The BTS Army helped the song reach number one on the charts.
- The sheer digital presence of the Army ensures that any project associated with the band receives immediate global visibility.

Teaching tip: While originally slang, this term is now widely recognized in mainstream media when discussing pop culture.

## Examples

- The army marches toward the border.
- After the earthquake, the army arrived to help distribute food and medical supplies to the survivors.
- The general realized that maintaining a standing army during peacetime required a significant portion of the national budget, leading to intense debates in the capital.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.