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If a person has fought in a war, how do you describe them? Is 'to have combat experience' okay? It, I guess, wouldn't work with 'military experience' since it just means that a person has served in the military, not that he or she actually participated in a war battle. Don't suggest 'veteran'. It means, according to Lexico, "an ex-member of the armed forces", not exactly what I'm looking for

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Although you don't want veteran as an answer, that is what's commonly used. While a veteran isn't necessarily somebody who actually fought, it's commonly thought of that way, despite its definition.

However, the specific term for somebody who's a veteran and who saw combat is combat veteran.

From "What is a Combat Veteran?" at Charlie Company:

The American War Library states:

What is a Veteran? – A veteran is defined by federal law, moral code and military service as “Any, Any, Any”… A military veteran is Any person who served for Any length of time in Any military service branch.

What is a War Veteran? – A war veteran is Any GI (Government Issue) ordered to foreign soil or waters to participate in direct or support activity against an enemy. The operant condition: Any GI sent in harm’s way.

What is a Combat Veteran? – A combat veteran is Any GI who experiences any level of hostility for any duration resulting from offensive, defensive or friendly fire military action involving a real or perceived enemy in any foreign theater. Wartime medals also define various levels of individual combat involvement, sacrifice and/or valor.

So, if you're being precise, the term you want is combat veteran.

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  • What if I want a broader term/phrase? To include not only retired but also current members of armed forces
    – Sergey Zolotarev
    Commented May 13, 2020 at 14:32
  • @SergeyZolotarev They are still combat veterans. But if you have to make the difference explicit, they could be described as active duty combat veterans, as opposed to retired combat veterans.
    – Jason Bassford
    Commented May 13, 2020 at 14:42

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