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

“The arrival of our squadron dispelled the danger.”

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 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

Soon every member of the squadron was singing, turning toward each other with lifted glasses, their voices rising powerfully on the last four lines:

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

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

Ajax programme had "left its troubles behind" and was ready to be deployed with squadrons on operations.

From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2025

Something’s going on in the night sky in New Jersey, where I live: People keep reporting squadrons of drones flying around in the dark over their houses.

From Slate ● Dec. 12, 2024

The dim squadrons about him, setting out minute by minute, infected him with a tendency.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Related Words

• armada
• battalion
• fleet
• squad