enemy combatant
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English
Noun
enemy combatant (plural enemy combatants)
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see enemy, combatant.
- (US, military) Any person in an armed conflict who may be properly detained under the laws and customs of war.
Usage notes
The term 'enemy combatant' has historically referred to any member of the armed forces of a state with which another state is at war. In the 'war on terrorism', however, combatants may come from multiple nations, wear no uniforms, and use unconventional weapons; because they are not defined by simple, readily apparent criteria such as citizenship or military uniforms, the power of a state to name people 'enemy combatants' is, according to some legal scholars, extraordinarily broad.
Quotations
For quotations using this term, see Citations:enemy combatant.
Synonyms
Translations
anyone who may be properly detained under laws of war
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See also
Unlawful combatant on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
References
- ^ JP 1-02 Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms