wojsko

Wojsko is the Polish word for the military or armed forces. It can refer to the collective defense apparatus of a state or, more generally, to an army. The term originates from the woj- root, related to war and combat (as in wojna “war,” wojownik “warrior”). In Polish, wojsko is a mass noun and is used in phrases such as wojsko polskie or wojsko państwowe.

Historically, the concept of wojsko appears in Polish statehood from the Middle Ages, evolving from feudal levies to professional formations. In different periods—the Kingdom of Poland, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and later partitions—the term was widely used in political and military discourse. In the 20th century, it remained common in both government and media. Since 1990, the formal name for Poland’s armed forces is Siły Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland), while the shorthand wojsko remains prevalent in everyday language.

In contemporary Poland, the armed forces are commonly understood as comprising the land forces (Wojska Lądowe), the air forces (Siły Powietrzne), the navy (Marynarka Wojenna), and specialized units, under the authority of the Ministry of National Defence and the General Staff (Sztab Generalny). The term wojsko is regularly used in legal texts, journalism, and public discourse as a general reference to the military, without prescribing a specific branch.