Major (rank)

Major is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators, major is one rank above captain in armies and air forces, and one rank below lieutenant colonel. It is considered the most junior of the senior officer ranks.

Background

The use of as part of an official title in Medieval Latin has given the Spanish , French , and Engish "mayor". In English the unadapted form "major" is the title of a military officer now ranking between a captain and a lieutenant colonel. Originally the word was used adjectivally in the title "sergeant major", an officer of high rank (third in command of an army) who performed the same duties of administration, drill and encampments on the staff of the chief commander as the sergeant in a company performs as assistant to the captain. This was in the latter half of the 16th century, and very soon afterwards the "sergeant major" became known as the "sergeant major general"—hence the modern title of major general.

By the time of the English Civil War "majors" had been introduced in each regiment of foot, who corresponded in a lesser sphere to the "major general" of the whole army. An early (1643) attestation of the term, used alone, can be found in Bulstrode Whitelocke's Memorials of the English affairs: "Major Gunter was shot dead in the place, and Hampden wounded, whereof he died a week after." referring to the deaths of John Hampden and Major John Gunter in the Battle of Chalgrove Field.

In the 20th century, the word appears also in the British service in "brigade major" (the adjutant or staff officer of a brigade). "Town majors" (garrison staff officers) are now no longer appointed. In the French service up to 1871 the "major general" was the chief of the general staff of a field army, and thus preserved the tradition of the former "sergeant major" or "sergeant major general".

The term major can also be used to denote the leader of a military band such as in pipe major or drum major.

Links to major ranks by country

Alphabetically sorted by name of country:

• Major (Canada)
• Major (France)
• Major (Germany)
• Major (Sweden)
• Major (United Kingdom)
• Major (United States)

Insignia

Army insignia

• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Albanian Land Force)[4]
  
  (Albanian Land Force)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Angolan Army)[5]
  
  (Angolan Army)
• Major (Antigua and Barbuda Regiment)[6]
  Major
  (Antigua and Barbuda Regiment)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Argentine Army)[7]
  
  (Argentine Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". (Armenian Ground Forces)[8]
  
  
  (Armenian Ground Forces)
• Major (Australian Army)[9]
  Major
  (Australian Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Austrian Land Forces)[10]
  
  (Austrian Land Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Azerbaijani Land Forces)[11]
  
  (Azerbaijani Land Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". (Bangladesh Army)[12]
  
  
  (Bangladesh Army)
• Major (Barbados Regiment)[13]
  Major
  (Barbados Regiment)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". (Belarusian Ground Forces)[14]
  
  
  (Belarusian Ground Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Belgian Land Component)[15]
  
  (Belgian Land Component)
• Major (Belize Defence Force)
  Major
  (Belize Defence Force)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Bolivian Army)[16]
  
  (Bolivian Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Bosnian Ground Forces)[17]
  
  (Bosnian Ground Forces)
• Major (Botswana Ground Force)[18]
  Major
  (Botswana Ground Force)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Brazilian Army)[19]
  
  (Brazilian Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Royal Brunei Land Force)[20]
  
  (Royal Brunei Land Force)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". (Bulgarian Land Forces)[21]
  
  
  (Bulgarian Land Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Template:Langx)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (Burundi Army)[22]
  
  (Template:Langx)
  (Burundi Army)
• Major (Template:Langx)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (Canadian Army)[23]
  Major
  (Template:Langx)
  (Canadian Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Cape Verdean National Guard)[24]
  
  (Cape Verdean National Guard)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Chilean Army)[25]
  
  (Chilean Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Colombian National Army)[26]
  
  (Colombian National Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Land Forces of the DR Congo)
  
  (Land Forces of the DR Congo)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Cuban Revolutionary Army)[27]
  
  (Cuban Revolutionary Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Czech Land Forces)[28]
  
  (Czech Land Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Royal Danish Army)[29]
  
  (Royal Danish Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Dominican Army)[30]
  
  (Dominican Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Ecuadorian Army)[31]
  
  (Ecuadorian Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Salvadoran Army)[32]
  
  (Salvadoran Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Estonian Land Forces)[33]
  
  (Estonian Land Forces)
• Major (Fiji Infantry Regiment)
  Major
  (Fiji Infantry Regiment)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Template:Langx)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (Finnish Army)[34]
  
  (Template:Langx)
  (Finnish Army)
• Major (Gambian National Army)
  Major
  (Gambian National Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". (Georgian Land Forces)[35]
  
  
  (Georgian Land Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (German Army)[36]
  
  (German Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Guatemalan Army)[37]
  
  (Guatemalan Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Army of Guinea-Bissau)
  
  (Army of Guinea-Bissau)
• Major (Guyana Army)[38]
  Major
  (Guyana Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Honduran Army)[39]
  
  (Honduran Army)
• Major (Indian Army)[40]
  Major
  (Indian Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Indonesian Army)[41]
  
  (Indonesian Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Italian Army)[42]
  
  (Italian Army)
• Major (Jamaican Army)[43]
  Major
  (Jamaican Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". (Kazakh Ground Forces)[44]
  
  
  (Kazakh Ground Forces)
• Major (Kenya Army)[45]
  Major
  (Kenya Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Kosovo Security Force)[46]
  
  (Kosovo Security Force)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". (Kyrgyz Army)[47]
  
  
  (Kyrgyz Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Latvian Land Forces)[48]
  
  (Latvian Land Forces)
• Major (Lesotho Army)[49]
  Major
  (Lesotho Army)
• Major (Liberian Ground Forces)[50]
  Major
  (Liberian Ground Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Lithuanian Land Force)[51]
  
  (Lithuanian Land Force)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Luxembourg Army)[52]
  
  (Luxembourg Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". (North Macedonia Ground Forces)[53]
  
  
  (North Macedonia Ground Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Malaysian Army)[54]
  
  (Malaysian Army)
• Major (Malawi Army)[55]
  Major
  (Malawi Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". (Maldivian Marine Corps)[56]
  
  
  (Maldivian Marine Corps)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Army of Malta)[57]
  
  (Army of Malta)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Mexican Army)[58]
  
  (Mexican Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Moldovan Ground Forces)[59]
  
  (Moldovan Ground Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Montenegrin Ground Army)[60]
  
  (Montenegrin Ground Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Mozambican Army)
  
  (Mozambican Army)
• Major (Namibian Army)[61]
  Major
  (Namibian Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Royal Netherlands Army)[62]
  
  (Royal Netherlands Army)
• Major (New Zealand Army)[63]
  Major
  (New Zealand Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Nicaraguan Army)[64]
  
  (Nicaraguan Army)
• Major (Nigerian Army)[65]
  Major
  (Nigerian Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Norwegian Army)[66]
  
  (Norwegian Army)
• Major (Template:Langx)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (Pakistan Army)[67]
  Major
  (Template:Langx)
  (Pakistan Army)
• Major (Papua New Guinea Land Element)
  Major
  (Papua New Guinea Land Element)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Paraguayan Army)[68]
  
  (Paraguayan Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Peruvian Army)[69]
  
  (Peruvian Army)
• Major (Philippine Army)[70]
  Major
  (Philippine Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Polish Land Forces)[71]
  
  (Polish Land Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Portuguese Army)[72]
  
  (Portuguese Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Romanian Land Forces)[73]
  
  (Romanian Land Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". (Russian Ground Forces)[74]
  
  
  (Russian Ground Forces)
• Major (Rwandan Land Forces)[75]
  Major
  (Rwandan Land Forces)
• Major (SKN Regiment)[76]
  Major
  (SKN Regiment)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Army of São Tomé and Príncipe)
  
  (Army of São Tomé and Príncipe)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". (Serbian Army)[77]
  
  
  (Serbian Army)
• Major (Seychelles Army)[78]
  Major
  (Seychelles Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Slovak Ground Forces)[79]
  
  (Slovak Ground Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Slovenian Ground Force)[80]
  
  (Slovenian Ground Force)
• Major (South African Army)[81]
  Major
  (South African Army)
• Major (Sri Lanka Army)[82]
  Major
  (Sri Lanka Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Suriname Army)[83]
  
  (Suriname Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Swedish Army)[84]
  
  (Swedish Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Swiss Army)[85]
  
  (Swiss Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". (Tajik Ground Forces)[86]
  
  
  (Tajik Ground Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Tanzanian Army)
  
  (Tanzanian Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Timor-Leste Army)[87]
  
  (Timor-Leste Army)
• Major (Tongan Land Component)[88]
  Major
  (Tongan Land Component)
• Major (Trinidad and Tobago Regiment)[89]
  Major
  (Trinidad and Tobago Regiment)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Turkmen Ground Forces)[90]
  
  (Turkmen Ground Forces)
• Major (Ugandan Land Forces)[91]
  Major
  (Ugandan Land Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". (Ukrainian Ground Forces)[92]
  
  
  (Ukrainian Ground Forces)
• Major (British Army)[93]
  Major
  (British Army)
• Major (United States Army)[94]
  Major
  (United States Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (National Army of Uruguay)[95]
  
  (National Army of Uruguay)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Uzbek Ground Forces)[96]
  
  (Uzbek Ground Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Swiss Guard)[97]
  
  (Swiss Guard)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Venezuelan Army)[98]
  
  (Venezuelan Army)
• Major (Zimbabwe National Army)[99]
  Major
  (Zimbabwe National Army)

See also

• List of comparative military ranks

References

Attribution

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: 

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