noun
firefighter
FEYE-uh-feye-tuh
noun
1
Someone trained to put out fires and rescue people from them.
"The firefighters arrived within minutes of the alarm."
"She has wanted to be a firefighter since she was a kid."
How to Use Firefighter
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA professional who fights fires.
When to use it
The standard modern, gender-neutral term; "fireman" is still common informally but firefighter is preferred in official and professional contexts.
Common pairings
volunteer firefighter
firefighter crew
Word Forms
firefighters plural
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The _____ arrived within minutes of the alarm.
Etymology
From fire and fighter, coined as a gender-neutral alternative to fireman.