Word Confusion: Troop versus Troupe

Posted June 11, 2015 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

Revised as of
8 Oct 2022

This was one of my word confusions. I was writing up a review and wanted to use troupe, but then I got to thinking (always dangerous!) and decided to make sure I was using the right word.

No. Not unless it was a battalion of entertainers. Oops. Good thing I checked.

It’s always possible that some troupes need troops to defend them from the audience, but I’ll hope that’s a rare occurrence.

Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end. Consider sharing this Word Confusion with friends by tweeting it.

Troop	Troupe
Mounted Infantry of the Expeditionary Force in Queen Street, Brisbane by John Vandenberg is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. — A mounted troop of the Expeditionary Force in Queen Street, Brisbane, 1914.	Opera Australia and the Pirates of Penzance by Adcro at English Wikipedia is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. — A still of the theater troupe performing Pirates of Penzance.
Part of Grammar:
Noun Verb, intransitive Plural for the noun: troops Gerund: trooping Third person present verb: troops Past tense or past participle: trooped Present participle: trooping	Noun ¹; Verb, intransitive ² Plural for the noun: troupes Gerund: trouping Third person present verb: troupes Past tense or past participle: trouped Present participle: trouping
Noun: A group of soldiers, especially a cavalry unit commanded by a captain, or an airborne unit [troops] Soldiers or armed forces A unit of 18 to 24 Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts organized under a troop leader A group of people or animals of a particular kind Verb, intransitive: [Of a group of people] Come or go together or in large numbers [Of a lone person] Walk at a slow or steady pace	Noun: A group of dancers, actors, or other entertainers who tour to different venues ¹ Any group of people working together on a shared activity Verb, intransitive: To travel in a troupe ² To perform as a member of a theatrical troupe
Examples:
Noun: They sent UN peacekeeping troops to keep order. We have to organize troop withdrawals over the next few weeks. My daughter is in a Girl Scout troop. The dictator gathered up his mercenary troops and attacked the city. The pope signed an agreement to withdraw his troops. Tell the admiral the troop ships were driven ashore in the storm. Some state police forces are referred to as troops. Verb, intransitive: The girls trooped in for dinner. Caroline trooped wearily home from work. The men trooped wearily down the road.	Noun: There’s a troupe of dancers coming in on the next flight. George! Our theater troupe is going on tour. Margaret Frazer’s Joliffe the Player series is about a troupe of actors traveling the medieval English countryside. Verb, intransitive: We trouped throughout the country. The group will troupe through Europe in three months. You’re going trouping again, aren’t you?
History of the Word:
Mid-16th century from the French troupe, a back-formation from troupeau, which is a diminutive of the medieval Latin troppus meaning flock. It’s probably of Germanic origin.	Its first known use was in 1776. Early 19th century from the French, literally troop. Its first known use was in 1851.

Troop

Troupe

Mounted Infantry of the Expeditionary Force in Queen Street, Brisbane by John Vandenberg is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

—

A mounted troop of the Expeditionary Force in Queen Street, Brisbane, 1914.

Opera Australia and the Pirates of Penzance by Adcro at English Wikipedia is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

—

A still of the theater troupe performing Pirates of Penzance.

Part of Grammar:

Noun
Verb, intransitive

Plural for the noun: troops
Gerund: trooping

Third person present verb: troops
Past tense or past participle: trooped
Present participle: trooping

Noun ¹; Verb, intransitive ²

Plural for the noun: troupes
Gerund: trouping

Third person present verb: troupes
Past tense or past participle: trouped
Present participle: trouping

Noun:
A group of soldiers, especially a cavalry unit commanded by a captain, or an airborne unit

[troops] Soldiers or armed forces
A unit of 18 to 24 Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts organized under a troop leader

A group of people or animals of a particular kind

Verb, intransitive:
[Of a group of people] Come or go together or in large numbers

[Of a lone person] Walk at a slow or steady pace

Noun:
A group of dancers, actors, or other entertainers who tour to different venues ¹

Any group of people working together on a shared activity

Verb, intransitive:
To travel in a troupe ²

To perform as a member of a theatrical troupe

Examples:

Noun:
They sent UN peacekeeping troops to keep order.

We have to organize troop withdrawals over the next few weeks.

My daughter is in a Girl Scout troop.

The dictator gathered up his mercenary troops and attacked the city.

The pope signed an agreement to withdraw his troops.

Tell the admiral the troop ships were driven ashore in the storm.

Some state police forces are referred to as troops.

Verb, intransitive:
The girls trooped in for dinner.

Caroline trooped wearily home from work.

The men trooped wearily down the road.

Noun:
There’s a troupe of dancers coming in on the next flight.

George! Our theater troupe is going on tour.

Margaret Frazer’s Joliffe the Player series is about a troupe of actors traveling the medieval English countryside.

Verb, intransitive:
We trouped throughout the country.

The group will troupe through Europe in three months.

You’re going trouping again, aren’t you?

History of the Word:

Mid-16th century from the French troupe, a back-formation from troupeau, which is a diminutive of the medieval Latin troppus meaning flock. It’s probably of Germanic origin.

Its first known use was in 1776.
Early 19th century from the French, literally troop.
Its first known use was in 1851.

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