English Reference
noun

troops

n.
US /ˈtɹups/ UK /tɹˈuːps/ troops

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    soldiers in a large group, especially those belonging to an army.

    military personnel or soldiers, typically used in the plural to refer to a collective force.

    Simple

    The government decided to withdraw its troops from the region after the peace treaty.

    In context

    The deployment of additional troops along the border was seen by international observers as a significant escalation of the conflict.

    Pitfall
    The general sent five troops to the village. The general sent five soldiers to the village.

    In modern English, 'troops' usually refers to a large group or the military as a whole. Use 'soldiers' when counting individual people.

Usage troops withdraw

They would soon number about 20,000 troops: 15,000 British and 5,000 Germans.

Smithsonian Magazine· 13 Aug 2026

As part of his job for the AUSN - a non-profit that works to help US Navy servicemembers - he has been speaking to relatives of troops on the Lincoln.

BBC News· 18 Aug 2026
This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated