Serviceman

Serviceman

Noun · /ˈsɜːvɪsmæn/ · a man serving in the armed forces

Definition

A serviceman is a male member of the armed forces — army, navy, air force, or marines. The word denotes active military service and carries connotations of duty, discipline, and national commitment. In its broadest use, a serviceman may also refer to a male technician or repair worker who services equipment or machinery, though the military sense is dominant and most widely understood.

Origin

Formed in English from service and man, the compound emerged in the early twentieth century as modern professional militaries expanded and required a neutral term for uniformed personnel. Service derives from Old French servise and Latin servitium — the condition of serving — while man is Old English mann, a human being. The compound gained prominence during the First and Second World Wars when mass conscription and voluntary enlistment made serviceman a household word in British and American English.