Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of a regiment in an army. Modern usage varies greatly, and in some cases, the term is used as an honorific title that may have no direct relationship to military service. The rank of colonel is typically above the rank of

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

. The rank above colonel is typically called brigadier,

brigade general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed to ...

or brigadier general. In some smaller military forces, such as those of Monaco or the Vatican, colonel is the highest rank. Equivalent naval ranks may be called

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

ship-of-the-line captain Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The rank is equal to the army rank of colonel and air force rank of group captain. Equivalent ranks worldwide include ...

. In the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

's air force ranking system, the equivalent rank is

group captain Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force, where it originated, as well as the air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. It is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank i ...

History and origins

By the end of the late medieval period, a group of "companies" was referred to as a "column" of an army. According to Raymond Oliver, around 1500, the Spanish began explicitly reorganizing part of their army into 20 ''colunelas'' or columns of approximately 1000-1250 soldiers. Each ''colunela'' was commanded by a ''cabo de colunela'' or column head. Because they were crown units, the units were also confusingly called ''coronelas,'' and their commanders ''coronels.'' Evidence of this can be seen when Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, nicknamed "the Great Captain," divided his armies in ''coronelías'' each led by a ''coronel'' (colonel) in 1508.Los tercios españoles. La batalla de Pavía
at militar.org.ua (in Spanish, unspecified authorship) Later in the 16th century, the French army adopted this organizational structure, renaming ''colunelas'' regiments. On the other hand, they simply Gallicized ''colunela'' to the French ''colonel'' and pronounced it as written. The English then copied the unit and rank from the French. However, for reasons unknown, the English adopted the Spanish pronunciation of ''coronel,'' and after several decades of use shortened it to its current two-syllable pronuciation "kernel." ''Colonel'' is linked to the word ''column'' (from Latin: ''columna''; Italian: ''colonna'';

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: ''colonne'') in a similar way that ''brigadier'' is linked to ''brigade'', although in English this relationship is not immediately obvious. With the shift from primarily mercenary to primarily national armies in the course of the 17th century, a colonel (normally a member of the aristocracy) became a holder (German ''Inhaber'') or proprietor of a military contract with a sovereign. The colonel purchased the regimental contract—the right to hold the regiment—from the previous holder of that right or directly from the sovereign when a new regiment was formed or an incumbent was killed. As the office of colonel became an established practice, the colonel became the senior captain in a group of companies that were all sworn to observe his personal authority—to be ruled or regimented by him. This regiment, or governance, was to some extent embodied in a contract and set of written rules, also referred to as the colonel's regiment or standing regulation(s). By extension, the group of companies subject to a colonel's regiment (in the foregoing sense) came to be referred to as his regiment (in the modern sense) as well. In French usage of this period, the senior colonel in the army or, in a field force, the senior military contractor, was the

colonel general Colonel general is a three- or four-star military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, and was a ra ...

and, in the absence of the sovereign or his designate, the colonel general might serve as the commander of a force. The position, however, was primarily contractual and it became progressively more of a functionless

sinecure A sinecure ( or ; from the Latin , 'without', and , 'care') is an office, carrying a salary or otherwise generating income, that requires or involves little or no responsibility, labour, or active service. The term originated in the medieval chu ...

. (The head of a single regiment or

demi-brigade A ''demi-brigade'' ( en, Half-brigade) is a military formation used by the French Army since the French Revolutionary Wars. The ''Demi-brigade'' amalgamated the various infantry organizations of the French Revolutionary infantry into a single ...

would be called a '

mestre de camp Mestre de camp or Maître de camp (; "camp-master") was a military rank in the Ancien Régime of France, equivalent to colonel. A mestre de camp commanded a regiment and was under the authority of a Colonel General, who commanded all the regiment ...

' or, after the Revolution, a ' chef de brigade'.) By the late 19th century, colonel was a professional military rank though still held typically by an officer in command of a regiment or equivalent unit. Along with other ranks, it has become progressively more a matter of ranked duties, qualifications and experience and of corresponding titles and pay scale than of functional office in a particular organization. As European military influence expanded throughout the world, the rank of colonel became adopted by nearly every nation (albeit under a variety of names). With the rise of communism, some of the large communist militaries saw fit to expand the colonel rank into several grades, resulting in the unique senior colonel rank, which was found and is still used in such nations as

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

and North Korea.

Colonel-in-chief

In many modern armies, the regiment has more importance as a ceremonial unit or a focus of members' loyalty than as an actual battle formation. Troops tend to be deployed in battalions (commanded by a

) as a more convenient size of military unit and, as such, colonels have tended to have a higher profile in specialist and command roles than as actual commanders of regiments. However, in Commonwealth armies, the position of the colonel as the figurehead of a regiment is maintained in the honorary role of "colonel-in-chief", usually held by a member of the

royal family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term ...

, the nobility, or a retired senior military officer. The colonel-in-chief wears a colonel's uniform and encourages the members of the regiment, but takes no active part in the actual command structure or in any operational duties.

Colonel of the Regiment

The title Colonel of the Regiment (to distinguish it from the military rank of colonel) continues to be used in the modern British Army. The ceremonial position is often conferred on retired

general officer A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...

s, brigadiers or colonels who have a close link to a particular regiment. Non-military personnel, usually for positions within the Army Reserve may also be appointed to the ceremonial position. When attending functions as "Colonel of the Regiment", the titleholder wears the regimental uniform with rank insignia of (full) colonel, regardless of their official rank. A member of the

Royal Family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term ...

is known as a Royal Colonel. A Colonel of the Regiment is expected to work closely with a regiment and its

Regimental Association A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripte ...

Colonel by country

Colonel (Canada) Colonel (Col; french: colonel, col) is a Canadian Forces rank used by commissioned officers in the Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force. Captain(N) is the equivalent rank in the Royal Canadian Navy. A colonel is senior to the army and air ...

* Colonel (Eastern Europe) * Colonel (Germanic languages) * Colonel (India) *

Colonel (Pakistan) Colonel is a Field officer, senior officer rank in the Pakistan Army. Said army's rank system is predominantly following the British Army rank and insignia system since Independence of Pakistan, Pakistan's independence from the British Empire in ...

Colonel (Sri Lanka) Colonel (Col) is a senior officer rank in the Sri Lanka Army that is a superior rank to Lieutenant colonel (Sri Lanka), lieutenant colonel and subordinate to Brigadier (Sri Lanka), Brigadier. The rank has a NATO rank code of OF-5, equivalent to ...

* Colonel (United Kingdom) *

Colonel (United States) The colonel () in the United States Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force, is the most senior field-grade military officer rank, immediately above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general. Colonel ...

Insignia

Insignia of army colonels

File:ALB-Army-OF-5.svg, File:Angola-Army-OF-5.svg, File:CR-EA.png, File:Australian Army OF-5.svg, Fil

File:Bangladesh-army-OF-5.svg, File:Post-Soviet-Army-OF-5.svg, File:Army-BEL-OF-05.svg, File:CnelEB.svg, File:Bosnia_and_Herzegovina_Brigadier_Insignia.svg, File:Coronel-V.gif, File:Rank insignia of Полковник of the Bulgarian Army.png, Image:Cdn-Army-Col(OF-5)-2014.svg, File:Cape_Verde-army-OF-5.svg, File:coronelrch.jpg, File:PLA Colonel.svg, File:Rank insignia of coronel of the Colombian Army.svg, File:Cuba-Army-OF-5.svg, File:CzArmy_2011_OF5-Plukovnik_shoulder.svg, File:Rank insignia of oberst of the Royal Danish Army.svg, File:Capona de Coronel Ejercito Nacional.svg, File:14.ECA-COL.svg, File:El-Salvador-Army-OF-5.svg, File:12._EGLF-COL.svg, Image:Eversti kauluslaatta.svg, File:Army-FRA-OF-05.svg, File:Georgia Army OF-6.png, File:HD H 53 Oberst ABCAbw.svg, Image:Army-GRE-OF-05.svg, File:Guatemala-army-OF-5.svg, Guyana_Defence_Force_(GDF)_Colonel_rank_insignia.svg, {{center, Guyana Defense Force, Guayana File:HON-army-OF-5.svg, {{center,

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...

(''coronel'') File:Rank Army Hungary OF-05.svg, {{center, Hungary
(''ezredes'') Colonel_of_the_Indian_Army.svg, {{center, India File:18-TNI Army-COL.svg, {{center, Indonesia File:16-_Sarhang-IRGC.png, {{center, Iran
(''sarhang'') Image:IE-Army-OF5.png, {{center, Ireland IDF aluf mishne.svg, {{center, Israel Image:IT-Army-OF5b.svg, {{center, Italy
(''colonnello'') File:Mexico_army_OF5.svg, {{center, Mexico
(''coronel'') Image:Monaco-army-OF-5.svg, {{center, Monaco
(''colonel'') File:Mongolian Army-COL-parade.svg, {{center, Mongolia
(''Хурандаа'') File:15-Moroccan_Army-COL.svg, {{center, Morocco
(''عقيد'') File:Mozambique-Army-OF-5.svg, {{center, Mozambique
(''coronel'') Image:Nl-landmacht-kolonel.svg, {{center, Netherlands
(''kolonel'') File:13-Nicaragua_Army-COL.svg, {{center, Nicaragua
(''coronel'') File:Polkovnik-arm.png, {{center, North Macedonia
(полковник, ''polkovnik'') File:Army-NOR-OF-05.svg, {{center, Norway
(''oberst'') File:OF-5 Pakistan Army.svg, {{center, Pakistan File:Paraguay-Army-OF-5.svg, {{center, Paraguay
(''coronel'') File:EP_CNEL.png, {{center, Peru
(''coronel'') File:PA COL Svc.svg, {{center, Philippines
(''Lakan/Coronel'') Image:Rank insignia of pułkownik of the Army of Poland.svg, {{center, Poland
(''

pułkownik ''Polkovnik'' (russian: полковник, lit=regimentary; pl, pułkownik) is a military rank used mostly in Slavic-speaking countries which corresponds to a colonel in English-speaking states and oberst in several German-speaking and Scandin ...

'') Image:18 - Coronel.svg, {{center, Portugal
(''coronel'') File:RO-Army-OF5.png, {{center, Romania File:Russia-Army-OF-5-2010.svg, {{center, Russia
(''polkovnik / Полковник'') File:14-Serbian_Army-COL.svg, {{center, Serbia
(''pukovnik'') 15.SKA-COL.svg, {{center, South Korea File:Spain-Army-OF-5.svg, {{center, Spain
(''coronel'') File:SAA-OF-5.svg, {{center, South Africa File:Syria-Aqid.jpg, {{center,

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

(عقيد) File:Sri Lanka-army-OF-5.svg, {{center,

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

File:SWE-överste.svg, {{center,

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

( Överste) File:Taiwan-army-OF-5.svg, {{center, Taiwan
(''

shang xiao () is the rank held by field officers in the militaries of China and Taiwan. The Chinese military (PLA) uses four grades while the Taiwanese military uses only three, with the rank equivalent to the fourth being treated as a general officer ...

'') File:RTA OF-5 (Colonel).svg, {{center, Thailand File:Turkey-army-OF-5.svg, {{center, Turkey
(''albay'') File:UA shoulder mark 17.svg, {{center, Ukraine
(''polkovnik/Полковник'') File:British Army OF-5.svg, {{center, United Kingdom File:US Army O6 (Army greens).svg, {{center, United States File:CNELEJB-GNB.png, {{center, Venezuela
(''coronel'')

Insignia of air force colonels

File:BE-Air Force-OF5.svg, {{center, Belgium File:Coronel FAB V.jpg, {{center, Brazil (''coronel'') File:Canadian RCAF OF-5.svg, {{center, Canada File:Fach cav.gif, {{center, Chile (''coronel'') File:RDAF Col.svg, {{center, Denmark (''oberst'') File:French Air Force-colonel.svg, {{center, France File:Georgia Air Force OF-6.png, {{center, Georgia (პოლკოვნიკი, '' polkovnik'') File:Luftwaffe-271-Oberst.png, {{center, Germany (''oberst'') File:18-TNI Navy-CAPT.svg, {{center, Indonesia (''kolonel'') File:IT-Airforce-OF-5.png, {{center, Italy (''colonnello'') File:15.SKAF-COL.svg, {{center, South Korea File:Nl-luchtmacht-kolonel.svg, {{center, Netherlands (''kolonel'') File:PAF COL Svc.svg, {{center, Philippines
(''Lakan/Coronel'') File:Rank insignia of pułkownik of the Air Force of Poland.svg, {{center, Poland (''

'') File:Cor t.jpg, {{center, Portugal (''coronel'') File:Russia-Airforce-OF-5-2010.svg, {{center, Russia ('' polkovnik'') File:14-Serbian Air Force-COL.svg, {{center, Serbia (''pukovnik'') File:Cor-ea.svg, {{center, Spain (''coronel'') File:SWE-Airforce-överste.png, {{center, Sweden (''Överste'') File:Taiwan-airforce-OF-5.svg, {{center, Taiwan File:US Air Force O6 shoulderboard.svg, {{center, United States File:6-CNELAMB.png, {{center, Venezuela

Insignia of naval infantry colonels

File:18-TNI Air Force-COL.svg, {{center, Indonesia File:IDF Navy aluf mishne.png, {{center, Israel File:PHIL ARMY COL WOODLAND.svg, {{center, Philippines ROKMC-OF-5.svg, {{center, South Korea File:Taiwan-Marine-OF-5.svg, {{center, Taiwan File:British Royal Marines OF-5.svg, {{center, United Kingdom US Marine O6 shoulderboard vertical.svg, {{center, United States

Insignia of colonels of other services

File:US Space-force O6 (interim).svg, {{center, United States Space Force

Colonel as highest-ranking officer

Some military forces have a colonel as their highest-ranking officer, with no 'general' ranks, and no superior authority (except, perhaps, the head of state as a titular commander-in-chief) other than the respective national government. Examples include the following (arranged alphabetically by country name): *

Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda (, ) is a sovereign country in the West Indies. It lies at the juncture of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the Leeward Islands part of the Lesser Antilles, at 17°N latitude. The country consists of two maj ...

(170 personnel) *

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

(about 8,000 personnel) * Iceland (100 personnel, employed only for peacekeeping duties) * Libya (commands all the Armed Forces –

Muammar Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, . Due to the lack of standardization of transcribing written and regionally pronounced Arabic, Gaddafi's name has been romanized in various ways. A 1986 column by ''The Straight Dope'' lists 32 spellin ...

until 2011) * Monaco (two branches, with a total of about 250 personnel) *

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

(1,800 personnel) (up to 19 June 2020) * Vatican City (110 personnel – the Swiss Guard) {, class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" , - ! colspan="6", Rank insignia for a colonel in several nations which have no higher military rank , - ! rowspan=2 , Iceland ! colspan=2 , Monaco ! rowspan=2 , Vatican City , - ! Colonel CCP !! Colonel CSP
, - , IFRofursti

Rank insignia of Oberst (OF-5) Pontifical Swiss Guard

Other uses of colonel ranks

{{Further, Colonel (disambiguation) The term ''colonel'' is also used as a title for auctioneers in the United States; there are a variety of theories or folk etymologies to explain the use of the term.{{cite book, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7p9HAQAAIAAJ&q=auctioneer+colonel, title=The auction companion, first1=Daniel J., last1=Leab, first2=Katharine Kyes, last2=Leab, date=29 December 1981, publisher=Harper & Row, isbn=9780060125561, via=Google Books One of these is the claim that during the American Civil War goods seized by armies were sold at auction by the colonel of the division.{{Citation , last1 = Doyle , first1 = Robert A. , last2 = Baska , first2 = Steve , title = History of Auctions: From ancient Rome to todays high-tech auctions , journal = Auctioneer , date = November 2002 , access-date = 2008-06-22 , url = http://www.auctioneersfoundation.org/news_detail.php?id=5094 , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080517071614/http://auctioneersfoundation.org/news_detail.php?id=5094 , archive-date = May 17, 2008 Kentucky colonel is the highest title of honor bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Commissions for Kentucky colonels are given by the Governor and the Secretary of State to individuals in recognition of noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding service to a community, state or the nation. The sitting governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky bestows the honor of a colonel's Commission, by issuance of letters patent. Perhaps the best known Kentucky colonel is Harland Sanders of ''

Kentucky Fried Chicken KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is an American fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that specializes in fried chicken. It is the world's second-largest restaurant chain (as measured by sales) after McDonald's, with 2 ...

'' fame. The rank of colonel is also used by some police forces and paramilitary organizations.

References

{{reflist