regiment

American  

[rej-uh-muhnt, rej-uh-ment] / ˈrɛdʒ ə mənt, ˈrɛdʒ əˌmɛnt /

noun

1. Military. a unit of ground forces, consisting of two or more battalions or battle groups, a headquarters unit, and certain supporting units.

2. Obsolete. government.

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verb (used with object)

1. to manage or treat in a rigid, uniform manner; subject to strict discipline.

2. to form into a regiment or regiments.

3. to assign to a regiment or group.

4. to form into an organized group, usually for the purpose of rigid or complete control.

regiment British  

noun

1. a military formation varying in size from a battalion to a number of battalions

2. a large number in regular or organized groups

   regiments of beer bottles

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verb

1. to force discipline or order on, esp in a domineering manner

2. to organize into a regiment or regiments

3. to form into organized groups

4. to assign to a regiment

Other Word Forms

• nonregimented
  adjective
• overregiment
  verb (used with object)
• regimental
  adjective
• regimentally
  adverb
• regimentation
  noun
• unregimented
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of regiment

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French < Late Latin regimentum, equivalent to Latin reg ( ere ) to rule + -i- -i- + -mentum -ment

Explanation

Use the word regiment to describe a military unit that is smaller than a division: “Geoff’s new regiment consisted of three battalions that had been based in Alabama.” Most often used as a noun to describe a military unit made up of several battalions, the word regiment can also be used as a verb. If you ever need to assign troops to a regiment, you might say something like, “Next week I will regiment the ground forces arriving from North Dakota.” The verb form can also be used in a more general sense to describe any action that is characterized by strict order or control: "Her diet is strictly regimented to include only Sugar Babies."

Example Sentences

Rapamycin is a widely available immunosuppressant drug traditionally used as an anti-rejection regiment for organ transplant patients.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2026

Zhang joined the army at the age of 18 and moved up the ranks in a regiment headquartered in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

The regiment provides close support combat engineering to 7th Light Mechanised Brigade, known as the "Desert Rats", which is part of Nato's "Very High Readiness" task force.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

During frequent spells of leave from his fashionable regiment, the Royal Horse Guards, he earned celebrity as an intrepid traveler and balloonist, and wrote bestselling accounts of his adventures.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 1, 2025

But Marina wanted her to take charge, because Yevdokia would be the oldest member of her regiment as well as the most experienced.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein