squadron

American  

[skwod-ruhn] / ˈskwɒd rən /

noun

• squadrons
  plural

1. a portion of a naval fleet or a detachment of warships; a subdivision of a fleet.

2. an armored cavalry or cavalry unit consisting of two or more troops, a headquarters, and various supporting units.

3. (in the U.S. Air Force).

   1. the basic administrative and tactical unit, smaller than a group and composed of two or more flights.

   2. a flight formation.

4. a number of persons grouped or united together for some purpose; group.

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verb (used with object)

1. to form into a squadron or squadrons; marshal or array in or as if in squadrons.

squadron British  

/ ˈskwɒdrən /

noun

1. 1. a subdivision of a naval fleet detached for a particular task

   2. a number of naval units usually of similar type and consisting of two or more divisions

2. a cavalry unit comprising two or more troops, headquarters, and supporting arms

3. the basic tactical and administrative air force unit comprising two or more flights

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• half-squadron
  noun
• subsquadron
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• squadrons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of squadron

1555–65; < Italian squadrone, equivalent to squadr ( a ) square + -one augmentative suffix

Explanation

In the military, a squadron is a small unit sent out from the main group to do some particular task. In the air force, for example, a squadron might fly out on a surveillance mission. This word comes from the military, but the meaning varies depending on the branch. In the army, a squadron is a cavalry (horses) unit that has at least two troops, which are smaller collections of soldiers. The squadron also includes a headquarters and support. In the air force, a squadron has at least two flights, which are the equivalent of troops. An air force squadron is smaller than a group and bigger than a flight in the basic chain of command.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

squadron squadrons

The squadron has been responsible for testing several bombers, including the B-1B, B-2A, and the B-52 Stratofortress.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

The United States Navy will deploy a nuclear-powered submarine squadron to a strategic Australian navy port this year, Canberra's defence minister said on Friday.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

He attended test pilot school at Edwards Air Force Base, the site of many daring Armstrong flights and space shuttle landings, then served with the Navy’s Dust Devil test pilot squadron in China Lake, Calif.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2026

They brought in a squadron of French-made Dassault Mirage F1 and Russian Sukhoi Su-22 fighter-bombers in 1991.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026

He rose, blowing kisses to his squadron, then hopped down to watch the next pilot racing at full speed toward the landing deck.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

"It's more fighter squadrons, it's more capabilities, it's more defensive capabilities. And it's more bomber pulses more frequently," he said.

From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2026

It also has several squadrons of F-15E fighters in Jordan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026

PLA engineers could fail to get the technology to work in a real wartime scenario, making China’s robot squadrons easy for enemies to pick off or disable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026

With its last two MiG-21 squadrons retired, India will now have 29 fighter units against a sanctioned 42.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2025

In just a few years, it will grow by thirty combat divisions and one hundred aircraft squadrons, and its navy will be larger and stronger than the navies of the United States and Britain combined.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Related Words

• armada
• battalion
• fleet
• squad