tentara

Tentara is the Indonesian and Malay term for the armed forces or for soldiers. In Indonesian usage, tentara can refer to the military as an institution as well as to individual service members. The term appears in a variety of official and everyday contexts, including names of units, branches, and discussions of national defense.

In Indonesia, the national armed forces are called Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI). The TNI is organized into three branches: the Army (TNI-AD), the Navy (TNI-AL), and the Air Force (TNI-AU). The police force, Kepolisian Negara Republik Indonesia, operates separately from the TNI. The word tentara is also commonly used in reference to soldiers and veterans in general.

In Malay-speaking contexts, including Malaysia and Brunei, tentera is the standard word for the military. The main branches are Tentera Darat (Army), Tentera Laut (Navy), and Tentera Udara (Air Force). The term functions both as a collective referring to the military and as a designation for its personnel.

Historically, tentara has been tied to national defense during periods of conflict and state-building in Southeast Asia. In Indonesia, the term has given way in official usage to names like Tentara Nasional Indonesia to reflect a unified national force, while the word remains a common, neutral reference in media, education, and public discourse to the military and its members.