English Reference

Word

warrior

Phoneticswar·rior

US/ˈwɔɹiɝ/

UK/wˈɒɹɪɐ/

Definitions

01a soldier or fighter

B1

n. a person who fights in a war or battle, especially in the past.

n. a person engaged in or experienced in warfare; often implies a historical, tribal, or heroic context rather than a modern professional soldier.

“The ancient stories tell of a brave warrior who protected his village from invaders.”

“Historical accounts describe the samurai not just as skilled warriors, but as a distinct social class with a strict code of honour.”

Antonyms

02someone who works hard for a cause

B2

n. a person who shows great courage or energy while dealing with a difficult situation or fighting for a goal.

n. a person who shows great vigour, courage, or persistence in a non-military struggle, such as social justice or sports.

“She is a true social justice warrior who spends all her time helping the homeless.”

“The coach praised the young athlete as a warrior on the court, noting her refusal to give up even when the team was losing.”

Real-World Examples

“Guna Maya Bohara's great-nephew, Dipak Bohara, has told BBC Nepali she looked like "a warrior" who had returned victorious from battle.”
BBC News · 28 Aug 2026
“The Iliad tells the story of the warrior Achilles during the final year of the Trojan War .”
Smithsonian Magazine · 17 Jul 2026

Etymology

From Middle English werreour, from Anglo-Norman werreur, Old French guerroiier (“fighter, combattant”), from Medieval Latin werra, from Frankish werru (“confusion; quarrel”), from Proto-Indo-European wers- (“to mix up, confuse, beat, thresh”). Displaced native Old English cempa and many others.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Domain

Military

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Common
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference