Editing Front line (section)

==Etymology==
Although the term "front line" first appeared in the 1520s, it took until 1842 for it to be used in the military sense. Its first use as an adjective was from 1915.<ref>{{OEtymD|front-line}}</ref>

The word "front" gained the military sense of "foremost part of an army" in the mid-14th century, which, in turn, led the word to take on the meaning "field of operations in contact with the enemy" in the 1660s. That sense led to the phrase [[home front]], which first appeared in 1919.<ref>{{OEtymD|front}}</ref> In a non-combat situation or when a combat situation is not assumed, front can mean the direction in which the command is faced.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/101-5-1/f545-f.htm%20globalsecurity%20army%20policies| title = Global Security Front}}</ref>

The [[Attributive adjective and predicative adjective|attributive adjective]] version of the term front line (as in "our front-line personnel") describes materiel or personnel intended for or actively in forward use: at sea, on land or in the air: ''at'' the front line.