firefighter

UK/ˈfaɪə(ɹ)ˌfaɪ.tə(ɹ)/US/ˈfaɪ.ɚˌfaɪ.tɚ/

nounB2+Common in everyday speech and writing · #8,223 of 15,258neutral

Other forms: firefighters

A firefighter is the worker who puts out fires and attends emergencies. Call the firefighters, a retained firefighter, firefighters attended.

It has replaced fireman as the standard term, since the job is done by people of any sex. Retained firefighters are part-time and paid to be on call, and they staff most rural stations in Britain. The work is far more than fires: road accidents, floods, and rescues make up most call-outs. Note fire engine, fire station, and that firefighter is one of the clearer successes of gender-neutral job naming.

Definitions of firefighter

1nounfirefighterSomebody whose job is putting out fires and attending emergencies.B2+
“A firefighter climbed the ladder and carried the child out of the window.”
synonyms: fireman

firefighter is an emergency worker.

Also accepted in games: fireman

Where it comes from

From fire + fighter. Created as a gender-neutral term for fireman and firewoman.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Work & Careers, Jobs & Professions

Practise this word

firefighter in the wild

Male firefighters are sometimes referred to as firemen (and, less commonly, female firefighters as firewomen).
Firefighter
From urban areas to aboard ships, firefighters have become ubiquitous around the world.
Firefighter
Volunteer firefighters contrast with paid firefighters who work full- or part-time and receive a salary.
Volunteer fire department
Some may be part of a combination fire department that utilizes both paid and volunteer firefighters.
Volunteer fire department
The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of a group of New York City firefighters.
Rescue Me (American TV series)

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

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