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.
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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:
Hegseth posted the image, taken from the social media account for a local training branch, showing a young cadet receiving an award from her instructor.
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
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
In 1981, he made his Broadway debut in the play "Heartland" and his movie debut that same year as a military cadet in "Taps."
From Barron's ● Mar. 16, 2026
Life in cadet school for Major Major was no different than life had been for him all along.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
The MoD told the BBC its records showed he had only ever been in the Territorial Army, now called the Army Reserve, and was also a former Army Cadet Force volunteer.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
She had just started going out with a boy in her class, joined the hockey team, was training to be in the New Zealand Cadet Force, and had started competitive swimming.
From Slate ● May 12, 2026
Cadet gets to be in the spotlight to show off his strong arm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2025
Bonmati's former Barcelona Cadet coach Jordi Ventura: "An intense player, very competitive and perfectly dominates with both legs."
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2024
Nineteen-year-old Cadet Captain Ty Hill took his place at the front of F Company.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
While the speech began in standard ceremonial form, it repeatedly shifted into unscripted commentary about the cadets themselves, including their physical appearance and fitness.
From Salon ● May 24, 2026
Parade organizers, citing security threats, have also dramatically downgraded the event, eliminating the display of armored vehicles and the march by military cadets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
U.S. military officers are immersed, from the time they’re cadets, in a culture that respects civilian control and discourages getting involved in politics.
From Slate ● Apr. 6, 2026
He accused the Home Office of having "kicked out" army and RAF cadets who use the site for training every year.
From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2026
Then it was police cadets drilling at odd hours.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
