armée

Armée is the French term for a land-based military force and, more broadly, for a nation’s ground forces. The word derives from Old French armee, from arme meaning weapon. In military usage, an army denotes a large, combined-arms formation capable of sustained operations, typically commanded by a general and comprising two or more corps with integrated support such as logistics, artillery, and aviation. The term is also used to refer to the land component of a country’s armed forces, in contrast to the navy (marine) and air force (armée de l’air).

In national defense, the army is responsible for land warfare, security, deterrence, and, when authorized, expeditionary missions. Its structure varies by country but commonly includes divisions or corps, brigades, regiments, and battalions, plus specialized units in engineering, medical, communications, and logistics.

Historically, armies evolved from feudal levies and city-state Militias into professional standing forces, adopting changes in organization, technology, and mobility. Modern armies emphasize combined arms operations, mechanization, air and cyber support, and multinational cooperation.

In French-speaking contexts, Armée can refer to the entire land component or to the specific national army, as in Armée française or Armée de Terre. In English-language references, the term “army” is used for the land forces of a state, while other branches form independent services. See also armed forces, military, and army (general concept).