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• cadet
  cadet

  noun

  a student in a national service academy or private military school or on a training ship.
• Cadet
  Cadet

  noun

  a member of the former Constitutional Democratic Party.

cadet

¹ American  

[kuh-det] / kəˈdɛt /

noun

• cadets
  plural

1. a student in a national service academy or private military school or on a training ship.

2. a student in training for service as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, Air Force, or Coast Guard.

3. a trainee in a business or profession.

4. a younger son or brother.

5. the youngest son.

6. (formerly) a gentleman, usually a younger son, who entered the army to prepare for a subsequent commission.

7. Also called cadet blue.  a grayish to strong blue color.

8. Also called cadet gray.  a bluish-gray to purplish-blue color.

9. Slang. a pimp.

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Cadet ² American  

[kuh-det] / kəˈdɛt /

noun

Russian History.

1. a member of the former Constitutional Democratic Party.

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cadet British  

/ kəˈdɛt /

noun

1. a young person undergoing preliminary training, usually before full entry to the uniformed services, police, etc, esp for officer status

2. a school pupil receiving elementary military training in a school corps

3. (in England and in France before 1789) a gentleman, usually a younger son, who entered the army to prepare for a commission

4. a younger son or brother

5. the family or family branch of a younger son

6. (in New Zealand) a person learning sheep farming on a sheep station

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cadetship
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cadets
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cadet Cadet cadets

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

One West Point cadet expressed this viewpoint in his jubilee speech, asking the audience: “What fifty years have ever witnessed greater improvements in science, literature, and politics?”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 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

To land the role of a rebellious cadet in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,” 26-year-old Sandro Rosta had to do a chemistry read over Zoom with Holly Hunter.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 14, 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 has passed for 691 yards and 10 touchdowns.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2025

She signed with Cadet Records, which in 1967 released her recording of “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,” a vocal version of the Joe Zawinul tune that had been a hit for Cannonball Adderley.

From New York Times ● Jan. 28, 2024

“What was that, Cadet Fitz?” asked Professor Treebaun sharply, and I snapped my eyes open.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

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

The US Military Academy at West Point posted photos on Wednesday of George meeting with troops, saying he "shared experience-driven guidance with cadets preparing to lead".

From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2026

“This means that cadets are not taught what it means to be objectively reasonable, the very standard which the law requires them to meet when deciding whether or not to use deadly force.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026

In exchange, these cadets, after earning their master’s or doctoral degrees, would come back to teach in the Sosh department for at least three years.

From Slate ● Feb. 9, 2026

The uniforms of the new cadets are stiffer and cheaper than his own; no longer do they have access to live ammunition for marksmanship.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

Related Words

• student
• youth