foot soldier

UK/fʊt ˈsəʊl.d͡ʒə/Canada, US/fʊt ˈsoʊl.d͡ʒəɹ/

noun

A soldier who fights on foot; an infantryman

Similar
marcherfootsloggersubordinatesubsidiaryunderling
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Meanings

nounfoot soldier (plural foot soldiers)

plural foot soldiers

  1. governmentA soldier who fights on foot; an infantryman
  2. broadlyfigurativelyA rank and file member of an institution, or supporter of a cause.

    We are rightfully wary of straight Leftists who didn't give a damn for our struggle until they saw we had build ^([sic]) on our own, and then tried to recruit foot-soldiers from our ranks.

    1980 February 9, Scott Tucker, “The Lavender Left”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 28, page 5

Synonyms & antonyms

nounsomeone who fights on foot with small arms

Similar
marcherfootslogger
Broader
soldier

nounan assistant subject to the authority or control of another

Similar
subordinatesubsidiaryunderling
Broader
assistanthelperhelp
Also see
footsloggerinfantrymanmarchersubordinatesubsidiaryunderling

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From foot + soldier.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

foot soldier. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foot%20soldier

MLA

“foot soldier.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foot%20soldier. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “foot soldier,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foot%20soldier.

Source: foot soldier on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.