brigadier

American  

[brig-uh-deer] / ˌbrɪg əˈdɪər /

noun

• brigadiers
  plural

1. British Military. a rank between colonel and major general.

2. U.S. Army Informal. a brigadier general.

3. History/Historical. a noncommissioned rank in the Napoleonic armies.

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brigadier British  

/ ˌbrɪɡəˈdɪə /

noun

1. an officer of the British Army or Royal Marines who holds a rank junior to a major general but senior to a colonel, usually commanding a brigade

2. an equivalent rank in other armed forces

3. army short for brigadier general

4. history a noncommissioned rank in the armies of Napoleon I

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• brigadiership
  noun
• underbrigadier
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• brigadiers
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of brigadier

1670–80; < French: officer commanding a brigade; see brigade, -ier ²

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

brigadier brigadiers

Army brigadier general who held senior roles in the Defense and State Departments under previous administrations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 15, 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

“The modesty and dignity of his fiancee, who also happens to be the daughter of a retired brigadier, was grossly outraged by the police authorities,” the letter adds.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2024

Bush learned that he had a new teammate from the army only when Groves, who had been promoted to brigadier general upon taking over the bomb project, showed up at his office on September 17.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

In an unprecedented undertaking by a democratic government, the trial of the juntas directly established the guilt of former presidents, admirals and brigadiers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2023

“It is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to Josep, the last of our admired brigadiers still alive,” association chairman Almudena Cros said on its website on Tuesday.

From Reuters ● May 25, 2021

Nineteen colonels and brigadiers in their 50s and 60s graduated after several months of study with American and French instructors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2010

Field Marshal Papagos, assessed by U.S. military men as a good sound soldier, has fired eight lieutenant generals, 30 major generals, and so many brigadiers and colonels that people have lost count.

From Time Magazine Archive

“And were here to save this building,” one of the fire brigadiers said.

From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older

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