troops

The word “troops” means soldiers, especially as a collective military force. In plain terms, soldiers considered as a group.

“Troops” is pronounced troops (/tɹuːps/ in IPA).

Here is “troops” used in a sentence: “The government announced the withdrawal of troops from the region.”

“Troops” is a noun.

“Troops” is a fairly common word in modern English.

Soldiers are individual members of an army, while troops refers to soldiers gathered as a body — a collective term for military personnel. You might say '500 troops were deployed', meaning 500 service members together. 'Soldiers' can also mean specifically army personnel, whereas 'troops' can cover sailors, marines and airmen as well.

Usually, but not always. In military contexts, troops means soldiers or armed forces. A single 'troop', however, can mean an organised unit, such as a troop of cavalry or a Scout troop. The word also describes groups of animals, as in a troop of baboons. Context makes the intended meaning clear.

News reports often use it, as in 'thousands of troops were sent to the border' or 'the troops returned home after a long deployment'. It suits any situation involving soldiers acting together — training exercises, peacekeeping missions or combat. The word emphasises the force as a whole rather than named individuals.