combatant
gb/kəmbˈætənt/ us/kəmbˈætənt/
B2
Anglais
~ 8500
Sens
0 sens
Nom
B2
entity
1
person actively involved in fighting
A person or group that is taking part in a war or battle and doing the fighting.
Schéma d’usage :
a combatant in [a war/conflict]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse "combatant" with "soldier." A "combatant" is anyone taking part in the fighting (including rebels or irregular forces), while a "soldier" is specifically a member of a regular army. Learners may also confuse "combatant" (person) with "combat" (the act of fighting).
Synonymes
fighter (General and common; can be used for both military and non-military fights.)
|
soldier (Specifically a member of an army; not every combatant is a professional soldier.)
Antonymes
civilian (A person not in the armed forces and not taking part in the fighting.)
|
noncombatant (Someone present in a conflict zone but not directly taking part in the fighting.)
Collocations
armed combatant
|enemy combatant
|foreign combatant
|non-state combatant
|combatant forces
|active combatant
Thèmes
war
|politics
|law
Exemples
- Only armed combatants were targeted in the operation, according to the military.
- The agreement requires all combatants to lay down their weapons by the end of the month.
- Both state and non-state combatants have been accused of violating international law.
- Hundreds of foreign combatants joined the conflict from neighboring countries.
- Under the Geneva Conventions, combatants have specific rights and responsibilities.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Many combatants were injured in the battle.
- The peace deal ordered all combatants to stop fighting.
- Some combatants refused to give up their guns.
- The camp was used to hold captured combatants.
- Both sides lost many combatants in the war.
Nom
formal
C1
entity
2
participant in a serious conflict
A person or group that strongly fights for or against something, for example in politics, in court, or in public arguments.
Schéma d’usage :
a combatant in [a political/legal/bitter] battle
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may overuse "combatant" where "opponent" or "competitor" is better. "Combatant" sounds more serious and conflict-focused, and is usually used in strong political, legal, or moral battles, not in everyday games or friendly arguments.
Synonymes
opponent (More general; can be neutral in tone and is common in sports as well as arguments.)
|
adversary (Emphasizes opposition and conflict; slightly more formal and dramatic.)
Antonymes
ally (Someone who supports you in a conflict instead of fighting against you.)
|
bystander (Someone who is present but not involved in the struggle or dispute.)
Collocations
political combatant
|legal combatant
|ideological combatant
|chief combatant
|key combatants
|main combatants
Thèmes
politics
|law
|communication
Exemples
- In the courtroom, the two main combatants settled the case just before the verdict.
- The debate was fierce, but the political combatants later shook hands offstage.
- As the crisis deepened, both combatants hardened their positions and refused to compromise.
- Media combatants on both sides accused each other of spreading misinformation.
- The treaty brought the long-time combatants in the trade dispute back to the negotiating table.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Both combatants in the debate spoke for an hour.
- The two main combatants in the election were very different.
- The judge asked the legal combatants to calm down.
- The combatants in the argument did not listen to each other.
- The news showed the combatants in the long trade fight.
adjective
C1
property
3
engaged in or for combat
Taking part in fighting, or made or used for fighting in war.
Schéma d’usage :
combatant [forces/troops/aircraft/status]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes use "combatant" instead of "combative" for personality (e.g., *a combatant child*). Use "combative" to describe someone who often wants to argue or fight; use "combatant" mainly for formal military or legal contexts.
Synonymes
military (Broader; means related to the armed forces in general, not only to direct fighting.)
|
combat-ready (Stresses readiness to fight rather than formal role or classification.)
Antonymes
noncombatant (Describes people or units that do not take part in the fighting, even if they are in a war zone.)
|
civilian (Indicates non-military status, outside the armed forces and combat roles.)
Collocations
combatant forces
|combatant troops
|combatant aircraft
|combatant status
|combatant commander
|combatant units
Thèmes
war
|law
|technology
|politics
Exemples
- The navy is retiring several combatant ships that are now obsolete.
- Under international law, only combatant troops may be targeted during hostilities.
- The new policy clearly distinguishes combatant and noncombatant roles within the operation.
- Combatant aircraft were scrambled in response to the border incident.
- Her research focuses on how combatant status is defined in modern conflicts.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Only combatant troops were sent to the front line.
- The army bought new combatant aircraft last year.
- They talked about the rules for combatant and noncombatant people.
- The report listed all combatant units in the area.
- He studied the rights of combatant soldiers in war.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
combatant
API
GB/kəmbˈætənt/
US/kəmbˈætənt/
Syllabes et accentuation
com - batant (2 syllabes)
Stress on 2nd syllable (batant)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: combatant
Noun
- Base: combatant
- Plural: combatants
Famille de mots
Forms
combatants
noun
Core family
combat
noun B1
Related words
combative
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
noncombatant
noun
Advanced or less common
combativeness
noun
Expressions
enemy combatant
1/ˈɛnəmi kəmbˈætənt/
fixed phrase
formal
fighter belonging to enemy forces
A person who is fighting for the enemy side in a war or armed conflict.
Exemples
- The government announced that the captured men would be treated as enemy combatants.
- International law sets rules for how enemy combatants must be held and questioned.
- Several suspected enemy combatants were flown to a high-security detention facility.
lawful combatant
1/lˈɔfəl kəmbˈætənt/
fixed phrase
technical
fighter recognized as legal combatant
A person who fights in a war and follows the rules that make them a legal fighter under international law.
Exemples
- As a lawful combatant, she is entitled to prisoner-of-war status if captured.
- The report argues that many fighters in the conflict should be treated as lawful combatants.
- Only lawful combatants may openly carry weapons and still receive these protections.
unlawful combatant
1/ʌnlˈɔfəl kəmbˈætənt/
fixed phrase
technical
fighter lacking legal combatant status
A person who fights in a war but does not follow the rules that give legal protection to fighters, for example by not wearing a uniform.
Exemples
- The detainees were first labeled as unlawful combatants rather than prisoners of war.
- Human rights groups questioned the broad use of the term "unlawful combatant."
- Courts later reviewed how the government defined unlawful combatants in this context.