Definitions

standing army

NOUN

regular army

Synonyms

WEAK

active forces career soldiers permanent army professional army professional soldiers regulars

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.

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

The opportunities for repression are boundless, which is one reason why the Framers were so hostile to the idea of a standing army responsible for domestic security.

From Slate • Oct. 21, 2025

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has since announced a "standing army" of specialist police officers to tackle violent protests.

From BBC • Aug. 5, 2024

Haiti hasn’t had a standing army or a well-funded and robust national police force for decades.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 9, 2024

Bloom had no idea whether Russia even had a standing army, let alone how many soldiers it might include and how many square feet they would cover.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson