colonel

noun

col·​o·​nel ˈkər-nᵊl 

1

a

: a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps ranking above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general

b

: lieutenant colonel

2

: a minor titular official of a state especially in southern or midland U.S.

—used as an honorific title

colonelcy

ˈkər-nᵊl-sē 

noun

Did you know?

English colonel is pronounced the same as kernel. This seems odd, but there is an explanation. In many languages when a word contains two identical or similar sounds, one of these sounds will often change over a period of time. This kind of change is called dissimilation. So when the Italian word colonello was taken into French, it became coronel; and the word was borrowed by the English from the French in this form. Later the spelling colonel came to be used in order to reflect the Italian origin of the word. But by then the pronunciation with r was well established.

Examples of colonel in a Sentence

He retired as a colonel in the air force.

Recent Examples on the Web

Behind the colonel is a window, beads of rain partially obscuring a view of the car park. —David Szalay, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2024

Pressure was building — generals asked the colonels who asked their subordinates for lists upon lists to throw at the front. —Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024

Moreover, Putin is fully aware of Trump’s susceptibility to flattery, which the former KGB colonel will freely exploit. —Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 13 Nov. 2024

The judge followed the recommendation, allowing the three Navy officers and a Marine colonel to plead to lesser charges. —Alex Riggins, The Mercury News, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

alteration of coronel, from Middle French, modification of Old Italian colonnello column of soldiers, colonel, diminutive of colonna column, from Latin columna — see column

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing colonel

• bird colonel
• chicken colonel
• lieutenant colonel

Kids Definition

colonel

noun

col·​o·​nel ˈkərn-ᵊl 

: a military commissioned officer ranking just below a brigadier general

colonelcy

-sē 

noun

Etymology

an altered form of earlier coronel "colonel," from early French coronel (same meaning), from early Italian colonnello "colonel, column of soldiers," derived from Latin columna "column" — related to column