A group of soldiers; also, a group of people or animals acting or moving together.
From French *troupe* “company, band,” probably from a Germanic root meaning “assembly” or “crowd.” It has been used in English since the 16th century for groups of fighters and performers.
We talk about “troops” instead of “soldiers” partly because it sounds more like a unit than a person. The same root gives us *troupe* for actors, reminding us that both armies and theater groups move as coordinated crowds.
‘Troop’ historically referred to military units that were overwhelmingly male, and language about ‘our troops’ often defaulted to male imagery, obscuring women’s and non-binary people’s roles. Support and recognition for troops have frequently centered male experiences of service and sacrifice.
When possible, specify ‘service members’ or ‘soldiers’ and avoid assuming troops are all men; acknowledge diverse genders in armed forces.
["service members","soldiers","military personnel"]
Include women and gender-diverse service members when discussing troops’ contributions, recognizing their combat, support, and leadership roles historically overlooked.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.