G.I. Joe

noun

An American soldier.

“A small boy was in the yard playing with a weather-beaten G.I. Joe doll.”

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Meanings

nounG.I. Joe (plural G.I. Joes)

plural G.I. Joes

  1. slangAn American soldier.

    Most of the Dutch locals were glad to see G.I. Joe coming to town in 1944.

    1 more example

    Paul has been servicing Larry and presumably other U.S. military officers at Clark Airfield, and handing his savings over to his mother to help support the family. Now that "GI Joe's" tour of duty is coming to a close, Paul needs to find a new job.

    1990 August 18, Karin Aguilar-San Juan, “The Boston Lesbian and Gay Film Festival Continues”, in Gay Community News, volume 18, number 6, page 9
  2. broadlyAny American servicemember.
  3. A fictional character based on an archetype of an American soldier fighting for righteous causes (e.g., freedom, liberty, rule of law), embodied in various comic books, toys, TV shows, and movies.

    A small boy was in the yard playing with a weather-beaten G.I. Joe doll.

Origin

From G.I. (“government issue”) (explained at Wikipedia) and Joe as it functions in such terms as regular Joe, average Joe, Joe Average, and Joe Public.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

G.I. Joe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/G.I.%20Joe

MLA

“G.I. Joe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/G.I.%20Joe. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “G.I. Joe,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/G.I.%20Joe.

Source: G.I. Joe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.