Synonyms

brigadier general

American

noun

U.S. Army.

an officer of the rank between colonel and major general.

brigadier general British

noun

an officer of the US Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps who holds a rank junior to a major general but senior to a colonel, usually commanding a brigade
the former name for a brigadier

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of brigadier general

First recorded in 1680–90

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.

“These are some of our best allies, and they had no idea,” said Bacon, who is a retired Air Force brigadier general.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

"What makes it different is, Marjorie is not in the race," said Shawn Harris, a local farmer and retired brigadier general.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

"The French nation posthumously promotes Alfred Dreyfus to the rank of brigadier general," the law reads.

From Barron's • Nov. 18, 2025

As a result, Finerty was demoted to brigadier general.

From Salon • Mar. 4, 2025

Scott offered Lee command of the new army being formed to fight the Confederates, which also meant Lee would be promoted to brigadier general.

From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023