private noncommissioned rank in the U.S. Army or Marine Corps that is below private first class; one who holds this rank or a similar rank in a military or paramilitary organization. [Middle English privat, from Latin prºv³tus, not in public life, past participle of prºv³re, to release, deprive, from prºvus, single, alone.

corporal A noncommissioned rank in the U.S. Army that is above private first class and below sergeant or in the U.S. Marine Corps that is above lance corporal and below sergeant. [Obsolete French, alteration of caporal, from Old Italian caporale, from capo, head, from Latin caput..]

sergeant Any of several ranks of noncommissioned officers in the U.S. Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps; one who holds any of these ranks; the rank of police officer next below a captain, lieutenant, or inspector; a police officer holding this rank Middle English sergeaunte, a common soldier, from Old French sergent, from Medieval Latin servi¶ns, servient-, servant, soldier, from Late Latin, public official, from Latin, present participle of servºre, to serve, from servus, slave.]

lieutenant A commissioned rank in the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard that is above lieutenant junior grade and below lieutenant commander; one who holds the rank of lieutenant, first lieutenant, or second lieutenant. An officer in a police or fire department ranking below a captain. Middle English, deputy, from Old French : lieu, lieu (< Latin locus "place") + tenant, pres. participle of tenir, to hold (from Latin ten¶re): "place holder." The lieutenant can step into the place of the captain if need be.

captain One who commands, leads, or guides others, especially: The officer in command of a ship, aircraft, or spacecraft; a precinct commander in a police or fire department, usually ranking above a lieutenant and below a chief. a commissioned rank in the U.S. Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps that is above first lieutenant and below major; a commissioned rank in the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard that is above commander and below rear admiral. A restaurant employee who is in charge of the waiters and usually attends to table seating. A bell captain.[Middle English capitain, from Old French, from Late Latin capit³neus, chief, from Latin caput, capit-, head.

major A comissioned rank in the U.S. Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps that is above captain and below lieutenant colonel.; a similar rank in another military or paramilitary organization; one who holds this rank. Middle English majour, from Latin m³ior.

colonel A commissioned rank in the U.S. Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps that is above lieutenant colonel and below brigadier general; one who holds this rank or a similar rank in another military organization; an honorary nonmilitary title awarded by some states of the United States. Alteration of obsolete coronel, from French, from Old Italian colonello, from diminutive of colonna, column of soldiers, from Latin columna, column.

general A commissioned rank in the U.S. Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps that is above lieutenant general; one who holds this rank or a similar rank in another military organization.; a general officer. Middle English, from Latin gener³lis, from genus, gener-, kind.

Return to WORDS