Meaning & use
fallen soldier
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Meanings
nouncountableformal
A member of the armed forces who has died while serving in a war or military operation.
Grammar: Countable; plural is 'fallen soldiers'. Often used with 'the' to refer to all such people collectively: 'we remember the fallen soldier'.
Patterns
- a fallen soldier from something
- honor a fallen soldier
- the fallen soldiers of something
The town held a ceremony for every fallen soldier from the region.
A memorial wall lists the names of fallen soldiers from the conflict.
She wrote a letter to the family of a fallen soldier she had never met.
nouncountablefigurative
Used figuratively for someone who has died fighting for a cause or group, not necessarily in the military.
Grammar: Countable; often used in political or social contexts to suggest sacrifice.
Patterns
- a fallen soldier of something
- a fallen soldier for something
The activist was called a fallen soldier of the movement.
In his speech, he described the journalist as a fallen soldier for truth.
Word forms
| plural | fallen soldiers |
|---|
Common combinations
- honor a fallen soldier
- The community gathered to honor a fallen soldier at the annual service.
- fallen soldier memorial
- A fallen soldier memorial stands at the entrance to the base.
- the families of fallen soldiers
- The charity supports the families of fallen soldiers.
- remember the fallen soldiers
- On Remembrance Day, we remember the fallen soldiers.
Synonyms and how they differ
- casualty
- A broader military term that includes both dead and injured; 'fallen soldier' specifically means someone who has died.
- the fallen
- A collective phrase for all soldiers who have died in war; it is used with 'the' and is not countable.
Word family
- fall verb
- To die in battle, especially in formal or literary use: 'Many soldiers fell at the border.'
Commonly confused: fallen soldier or wounded soldier?
fallen soldier vs wounded soldier
A wounded soldier is injured but alive; a fallen soldier has died. Be careful not to use 'fallen' for someone who is only hurt.
Practice
The monument was built to honor the _____ soldiers who died in the war.
Choose one answer.
'Fallen' is the correct adjective for soldiers who have died in battle. 'Falling' suggests they are falling right now, 'fell' is the past tense verb, and 'fall' is the base form, so none fit the fixed phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fallen soldier”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.