MRE

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Initialism of Meal, Ready-to-Eat: an individual field ration used by the US military.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

After first trying an M.R.E. at age 8 — his father bought him one from an Army supply store in Lakewood, Fla., where Mr. Thomas still lives — he became obsessed with tracking down rations from various countries and eras. […] Still, M.R.E.s are far from mainstream.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “MRE” mean?

Initialism of Meal, Ready-to-Eat: an individual field ration used by the US military.

Is “MRE” formal or informal?

MRE is generally slang.