cadet
noun
a student in a national service academy or private military school or on a training ship.
cadet
1 American
[kuh-det]
/ kəˈdɛt /
noun
-
cadets
plural
-
a student in a national service academy or private military school or on a training ship.
-
a student in training for service as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, Air Force, or Coast Guard.
-
a trainee in a business or profession.
-
a younger son or brother.
-
the youngest son.
-
(formerly) a gentleman, usually a younger son, who entered the army to prepare for a subsequent commission.
-
Also called cadet blue. a grayish to strong blue color.
-
Also called cadet gray. a bluish-gray to purplish-blue color.
-
Slang. a pimp.
Cadet
2
American
[kuh-det]
/ kəˈdɛt /
noun
Russian History.
cadet
British
/ kəˈdɛt /
noun
-
a young person undergoing preliminary training, usually before full entry to the uniformed services, police, etc, esp for officer status
-
a school pupil receiving elementary military training in a school corps
-
(in England and in France before 1789) a gentleman, usually a younger son, who entered the army to prepare for a commission
-
a younger son or brother
-
the family or family branch of a younger son
-
(in New Zealand) a person learning sheep farming on a sheep station
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of cadet1
1600–10; < French < Gascon capdet chief, captain (referring to the younger sons of noble families); compare Old Provençal capdel headman < Latin capitellum literally, small head; see capital 2
Origin of Cadet2
< Russian kadét, equivalent to ka + de (the letter names of k, d, representing konstitutsiónnyĭ demokrát Constitutional Democrat) + -t from kadét (now obsolete) cadet
Explanation
A cadet is a trainee enrolled in a military academy. You might also call a cadet a plebe, but doesn't cadet sound so much better? The term cadet has many meanings: the first meaning referred to a younger male in a family. That might help you remember that a cadet is someone young: specifically, a student in a military academy. In the United States, cadets are trainees at military colleges. The cadets get a college education while also training to be officers in the armed forces. Being a cadet is a blend of traditional education and military training.
Vocabulary lists containing cadet
English Words Derived from French, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The national cadet programme is overseen by the military and offers leadership and skills training to youth aged 12 to 18.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
He was sent to the cadet corps and fought in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
During a recent Coast Guard graduation, Trump invited onto stage "the only cadet who earned a perfect score on every single fitness test."
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
He also invited a cadet onstage to highlight physical fitness achievements, underscoring a recurring emphasis on bodily standards as a marker of military excellence.
From Salon ● May 24, 2026
This meant that I would be the highest-ranking cadet in the entire corps of over seven hundred people.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
Cadet leaders should be accountable for the performance and welfare of the cadets assigned to them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
In a statement, the Army Cadet League of Canada, a civilian organisation that supports the programme, said it strongly condemns "any online harassment, or mockery of cadets' achievements".
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Quarterback Nathaniel Cadet gives Barristers legitimate passing attack.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
In fact, much of the story of L.A.s military academies might sound like a real estate “Where’s Cadet Waldo,” tracking the institutions from one place to another.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
I’ll watch your back, she’d said, with all the gravitas of a Cadet.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
Experienced officers and noncommissioned officers should teach these skills, set a standard for discipline and require cadets to meet it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
It would have brought around 500 maritime cadets to the city.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
He even managed to get a more current jest in, teasing the group of young cadets with a “six-seven” joke about making good choices.
From Salon ● May 24, 2026
My father and mother had relocated there in a British youth program as volunteer police cadets in their early 20s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
Still, I didn’t want whatever cadets had lost these to get in trouble, so I shoved them under my arm and picked up my pace.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
