A soldier is a general English term that refers to a member of a land component of national armed forces who are without officer's commission, and serve in the rank variously equivalent to a private. In most societies of the world, "soldier" is also a general term for any member of the land forces including commissioned or Non-commissioned officers. Etymology The word soldier is derived from an Old French word, itself a derivation of Solidarius, Latin for someone who served in the armed forces… (More on Soldiers)