ranger

noun

rang·​er ˈrān-jər How to pronounce ranger (audio)
Synonyms of rangernext
1
a
: the keeper of a British royal park or forest
b
: forest ranger
2
: one that ranges
3
a
: a member of an armed group who ranges over a region especially to enforce the law
b
: a soldier specially trained in close-range fighting and in raiding tactics

Examples of ranger in a Sentence

She's now a ranger at a national forest in Montana. We were fortunate enough to get a tour from a ranger when we visited Yellowstone National Park.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Other daily events for the weekend include tours, ranger talks and Yosemite After Dark nature walk. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Minutes later, a search and rescue operation was launched by National Park Service rangers and an Inyo County deputy. — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026 Park rangers, an Inyo County sheriff’s deputy and a California Highway Patrol helicopter team located Formosa. — Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026 National Park Service rangers, an Inyo County deputy and a California Highway Patrol helicopter launched a search and rescue operation and the helicopter located Formosa later that afternoon, according to park officials. — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ranger

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ranger was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing ranger

Rhymes for ranger

See All Rhymes for ranger

Browse Nearby Words

range pole
ranger
range rake
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ranger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ranger. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

ranger

noun
rang·​er ˈrān-jər How to pronounce ranger (audio)
1
: forest ranger
2
a
: a member of a body of troops who range over a region
b
: a soldier in an army unit with special training (as parachute jumping and scuba diving) for making surprise attacks and raids

More from Merriam-Webster on ranger

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ranger

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ranger

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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