cadet

¹

[kuh-det]

noun

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.

Cadet

²

[kuh-det]

noun

Russian History.

1. a member of the former Constitutional Democratic Party.

cadet

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• cadetship noun

Word History and Origins

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; 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cadet¹

C17: from French, from dialect (Gascon) capdet captain, ultimately from Latin caput head

Example Sentences

In March, a 15-year-old girl, Phoebe Beltran, told The Times she was attacked by a sea lion while completing her swim test for the cadet Junior Lifeguards program in Long Beach.

From Los Angeles Times

Angel Romero, center, an instructor in defense training, teaches cadets hand to hand combat.

From Los Angeles Times

Adm Key joined the navy as a university cadet in 1984 where he later qualified as both helicopter aircrew and as a principal warfare officer.

From BBC

According to a biography on the government website, he joined the RAF in 1989 as a university cadet, and served as deputy chief of the defence staff from 2019 to 2022.

From BBC

That is expected to include announcements about British industry creating more defence kit, expanding the cadet forces, and bolstering the number of men and women in the military reserves.

From BBC

Related Words

• student 
• youth