invader

invader — noun

1. a military force or nation that goes into another country by armed means and tak

1.nounB2
Definition

a military force or nation that goes into another country by armed means and takes control of it, often hurting the people who live there.

Example

Hadrian's Wall was built across northern England to protect Roman territory from invaders.

passive: be built to protect from [invaders]

When the invaders reached Oakwood village, most families had already escaped into the forest.

Common collocations
  • foreign invaders
  • fight off / repel / drive out invaders
  • invaders advanced / marched / withdrew
  • protect against invaders
  • fall to invaders
Synonyms
  • aggressor

    broader term — the party that starts a conflict, not necessarily by crossing a border

  • attacker

    more general — can apply to any violent confrontation, not only military

  • raider

    implies a quick attack to steal or plunder, not long-term conquest

  • conqueror

    implies success in taking control, while 'invader' focuses on the act itself

Antonyms
  • defender

    someone who protects their land against an invader

  • liberator

    someone who frees a place from an invader's control

Usage Note

Usually appears in plural form when referring to a military force as a group. The singular form may describe a single soldier or a nation considered as one entity.

Common Mistakes

The invader of the country lasted three years.
The invasion of the country lasted three years.
'invader' refers to a person or force; 'invasion' refers to the event or action.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four describe someone who initiates hostile action, but they differ in scope and setting. An 'invader' specifically enters a foreign territory by military force with the aim of taking control — the word carries a strong sense of territorial violation. An 'aggressor' is the party that starts a conflict of any kind, whether or not a border is crossed; it is a legal and political term used in international disputes. An 'attacker' is the most general — it fits any situation from a playground fight to a cyber assault, with no implication of conquest. A 'raider' strikes fast to steal or destroy and then withdraws, without trying to stay or govern. For example: 'The UN condemned the nation as an aggressor' vs 'Viking raiders attacked the coastal monastery but left by nightfall.' An invader, by contrast, stays and attempts to rule.

invader ↗aggressorattacker ↗raider

Common collocations

Nouns

  • invader army
  • invader forces
  • invader troops

Phrases

  • drive out the invaders
  • protect against invaders
  • fall to the invaders

Prepositions

  • against invaders
  • from invaders
  • by invaders

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'invadere' — 'in-' (into) + 'vadere' (to go, to walk). The original Latin meaning was 'to go into, to enter upon.' The military sense of 'enter by force' developed in Latin and carried into English through French ('invader') in the late 15th century.