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Military & Defence vocabulary · Units & Organisation

Brigade

Meaning in military & defence, with examples

/brɪˈɡeɪd/nounCore term

In military & defence, brigade means: A formation of several battalions and support units, usually a few thousand soldiers, commanded by a brigadier, brigadier general or colonel.

In Turkish: tugay

How it is used

A brigade can often work on its own for a period because it has its own support units. Common phrases: armoured brigade, logistics brigade, brigade commander. The rank 'brigadier' comes from this word.

Example sentences

  1. The brigade moved its headquarters to the training area for the exercise.

  2. Three battalions and an engineer company make up the brigade.

Common collocations

  • armoured brigade
  • brigade commander
  • brigade headquarters
  • logistics brigade
  • battalionA unit of several hundred soldiers, made up of three to five companies and usually commanded by a lieutenant colonel.
  • divisionA large army formation of several brigades, often 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers, usually commanded by a major general.
  • colonelA senior officer rank above lieutenant colonel; a colonel may command a regiment or brigade, or hold an important headquarters post.
  • regimentA military unit with a long history and its own traditions; in some armies a fighting unit, in others mainly a family of battalions.

More terms: Units & Organisation

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