brigade

American  

[bri-geyd] / brɪˈgeɪd /

noun

brigades plural

1. a military unit having its own headquarters and consisting of two or more regiments, squadrons, groups, or battalions.

2. a large body of troops.

3. Digital Technology. cybermob.

4. a group of individuals organized for a particular purpose: a rescue brigade.

   a fire brigade;

   a rescue brigade.

5. bucket brigade.

6. History/Historical. a convoy of canoes, sleds, wagons, or pack animals, especially as used to supply trappers in the 18th- and 19th-century Canadian and U.S. fur trade.

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verb (used with object)

brigaded, brigading

1. to form into a brigade.

2. to group together.

verb (used with or without object)

brigaded, brigading

1. Digital Technology. to engage in online brigading.

brigade British  

/ brɪˈɡeɪd /

noun

1. a formation of fighting units, together with support arms and services, smaller than a division and usually commanded by a brigadier

2. a group of people organized for a certain task

   a rescue brigade

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verb

1. to organize into a brigade

2. to put or group together

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subbrigade
  noun
• interbrigade
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• brigades
  plural

Etymology

Origin of brigade

First recorded in 1630–40; from French, from Old Italian brigata “company of soldiers,” originally “group, band,” equivalent to brig(are) probably “to associate (with), be together” (obsolete sense), probably of Celtic origin; see brigand + -ata -ade ¹

Explanation

A brigade is a unit of the army. A bunch of brigades make up a division, while brigades are divided into battalions and regiments. The military is nothing if not organized, and one of the forms of organization is the brigade. A brigade is smaller than a division, but larger than a battalion or regiment, several of which make up a brigade. A colonel or brigadier general will command a brigade, which consists of several units, including one at headquarters, one infantry unit, plus support staff. Soldiers in the same brigade will work together closely. Veterans will remember their brigade comrades.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

brigade brigades brigaded brigading

Lord Roe's acting chief executive at the BSR is Charlie Pugsley, who was also his deputy commissioner at the brigade.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

In an update on Friday evening, the fire brigade said the blaze was under control and there was no wider risk to the public.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

"We are urging people to stay hydrated and use air conditioners," a fire brigade spokesman told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

Nearby, a US brigade deployed search dogs and activated a highly sensitive sensor to detect sounds.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

He showed Chamberlain the new brigade flag: triangular, white, with a blue border, a red Maltese Cross in the center.

From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara

It includes brigades belonging to Iran-backed groups reputed for acting unilaterally.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

The Catalan government said three fire brigades and two medical teams attended the scene.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

We were wearing matching unit hats: We served in different brigades within the same infantry division.

From Slate ● Apr. 1, 2026

As opportunities to flex their military might diminished, samurai instead became landed gentry, taking on bureaucratic roles as tax agents, heads of fire brigades and land managers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 7, 2026

As a gesture, a token force of one infantry division and two Marine brigades would be sent to France right away.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

This is a useful corrective for people who are being brigaded by Twitter trolls: Would you still be worried if a crowd of folks in a town you’ll never visit was booing your name?

From Washington Post ● Aug. 9, 2022

In many cases, it appeared that a post from one user would get shared by a friend into his or her network, where it would be brigaded by strangers.

From New York Times ● Nov. 24, 2020

While the idea of civil servants being "brigaded" to march in step to the localist tune is an entertaining notion, it will not liberate the power of local economies.

From The Guardian ● Nov. 9, 2012

He calls for civil servants outside London to "be brigaded into local growth teams".

From The Guardian ● Nov. 9, 2012

There are detached regiments encamped in the woods near the Landing, which have just arrived, and have not been brigaded.

From My Days and Nights on the Battle-Field by Coffin, Charles Carleton

What counts as sufficient coordination for a campaign to qualify as brigading?

From Washington Post ● Dec. 23, 2021

Facebook said that such coordinated campaigns, known as brigading, are a new area that the company is starting to police.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 1, 2021

So apparently YouTube doesn't understand how brigading works or why impact matters more than intent.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 5, 2019

There are almost ceaseless allegations, on both sides, of harassment, brigading, astroturfing and sock puppetry: terms that describe coordinated, oppositional online campaigns, the feigned impression of grassroots support and fake online identities.

From Washington Post ● May 5, 2016

Strongholds were strengthening, regiments brigading, cavalry organizing on all sides.

From Tom Burke Of "Ours", Volume II by Lever, Charles James