colonel

noun

col·​o·​nel ˈkər-nᵊl How to pronounce colonel (audio)
1
a
: a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps ranking above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
2
: a minor titular official of a state especially in southern or midland U.S.
used as an honorific title
colonelcy 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 On Tuesday, the military said four more soldiers were killed in the fighting in northern Gaza, bringing the toll since the start of the operation to 16, including a colonel. Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024 Biden garnered 40% more votes than Barack Obama did in the 2008 election, the colonel said, according to Van Essen. Rich Schapiro, NBC News, 3 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for colonel 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of colonel was in 1548

Dictionary Entries Near colonel

Cite this Entry

“Colonel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colonel. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

colonel

noun
col·​o·​nel ˈkərn-ᵊl How to pronounce colonel (audio)
: a military commissioned officer ranking just below a brigadier general
colonelcy 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

More from Merriam-Webster on colonel

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