Brigadier
/ˌbrɪɡəˈdɪər/noun
A military officer of senior rank, typically above colonel and below major general.
Did you know?Brigadier ultimately comes from a word for a troop or brigade, from Italian and French military language, and its root is the same one behind the idea of a “brigade” as a fighting body.
Etymological Timeline
Italian
Italian
brigata
“a troop, company, or band of people”
16th Century
French
brigade
“a military unit or body of soldiers”
17th Century
French
brigadier
“an officer commanding a brigade”
17th Century
English
brigadier
“a military officer in command of a brigade”
Modern English
English
brigadier
“a senior military rank”