250px|right|thumb|The Western Front in 1915–16
In a military context, the term front can have several meanings. According to official US Department of Defense and NATO definitions, a front can be "the line of contact of two opposing forces." This front line can be a local or tactical front, or it can range to a theater. An example of the latter was the Western Front in France and Belgium in World War I.
Relatedly, front can refer to the direction of the enemy or, in the absence of combat, the direction towards which a military unit is facing.
Additionally, the Soviet Army used the term "front" to mean an army group; the Polish Armies used the same terminology during the Polish-Soviet War and World War II.
See also
- Rear (military)