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

Restaurant owners here, whose business suffers whenever the regiment is mobilized for exercises, fear they won’t survive a permanent withdrawal of troops.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

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

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2026

"Lucy was first on the scene and worked relentlessly to treat casualties and ensure every Guardsman was accounted for and safe," the regiment said.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 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

His new regiment stood lined up in the snow before him while he pointed out someone’s dirty boots and a hole in someone else’s jacket.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein