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Military & Defence vocabulary · Ranks & Personnel

Private

Meaning in military & defence, with examples

/ˈpraɪvət/nounCore term

In military & defence, private means: The lowest rank in an army, held by a soldier who has finished basic training and does not command other soldiers.

In Turkish: er

How it is used

Used as a rank and as a title before the surname: Private Taylor. The US Army has several grades (private, private first class). In the British Army some corps and regiments use their own title for this rank, such as gunner or sapper.

Example sentences

  1. Private Ahmed reported to the company office at eight o'clock.

  2. Every private in the platoon was given a new uniform.

Common collocations

  • private first class
  • private soldier
  • promoted from private
  • new private
  • soldierA member of an army, especially one who is not an officer; someone whose job is military service on land.
  • rankA person's official level in the military hierarchy, shown on the uniform, which decides their authority, duties and pay.
  • sergeantA non-commissioned officer rank above corporal; a sergeant leads a small group of soldiers and makes sure standards and discipline are kept.
  • basic trainingThe first period of military training for new recruits, teaching discipline, fitness, drill and the essential skills of a soldier.

More terms: Ranks & Personnel

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