Major (

commandant Commandant ( or ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ran ...

in certain jurisdictions) is a

military rank Military ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships, within armed forces, police, intelligence agencies or other institutions organized along military lines. The military rank system defines dominance, authority, and responsibility in a ...

commissioned officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...

status, with corresponding ranks existing in many

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators, major is one rank above

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 ...

, and one rank below

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 ...

. It is considered the most junior of the

field officer A senior officer is an officer of a more senior grade in military or other uniformed services. In military organisations, the term may refer to any officer above junior officer rank, but usually specifically refers to the middle-ranking group of ...

ranks.

Background

Majors are typically assigned as specialised executive or operations officers for

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

-sized units of 300 to 1,200 soldiers while in some nations, like Germany, majors are often in command of a

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...

. When used in hyphenated or combined fashion, the term can also imply seniority at other levels of rank, including ''general-major'' or ''

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

'', denoting a low-level general officer, and ''

sergeant major Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in the ...

'', denoting the most senior

non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...

(NCO) of a military unit. The term ''major'' can also be used with a hyphen to denote the leader of a military band such as in

pipe-major The pipe major is the leading musician of a pipe band, whether military or civilian. Like the appointment of drum major, the position is derived from British Army traditions. During the early twentieth century, the term sergeant piper was used ...

drum-major A drum major or field commander is the leader of a marching band, drum and bugle corps, or pipe band, usually positioned at the head of the band or corps. The drum major is often dressed in more ornate clothing than the rest of the band or co ...

. Historically, the rank designation developed in English in the 1640s, taken from French ''majeur'', in turn a shortening of ''sergent-majeur'', which at the time designated a higher rank than at present. The term ''

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

'' for the head of a municipal government can also be traced to the same French word. The rank of major is also used in some

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

forces and other

paramilitary A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...

rank structures, such as the

Pennsylvania State Police The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) is the state police agency of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, responsible for statewide law enforcement. The Pennsylvania State Police is a full service law enforcement agency which handles both traffic and cr ...

New York State Police The New York State Police (NYSP) is the state police of the state of New York in the United States. It is part of the New York State Executive Department, and employs over 5,000 sworn state troopers and 711 civilian members. History The State ...

New Jersey State Police The New Jersey State Police (NJSP) is the official state police force of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a general-powers police agency with statewide jurisdiction, designated by troop sectors. History As with other state police organization ...

, and several others. As with a military major, this rank is most commonly the next rank above

. The rank is equivalent to an

inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

in other large police departments or to the UK rank of

superintendent Superintendent may refer to: *Superintendent (police), Superintendent of Police (SP), or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a police rank *Prison warden or Superintendent, a prison administrator *Superintendent (ecclesiastical), a church exec ...

Links to major ranks by country

Alphabetically sorted by name of country: *

Major (Canada) :''Please see "major" for other countries which use this rank'' Major is a rank of the Canadian Armed Forces. The rank insignia of a major in the Royal Canadian Air Force is two half-inch stripes with a quarter-inch stripe between. The rank insign ...

Major (France) () in France, is a senior superior military rank (french: grade militaire) across various military and security institutions with history dating back well beyond the 18th century. Typically, the contemporary rank of Major is situated differen ...

Major (Germany) () is the lowest staff officer rank in the German Army, German Air Force. The rank is rated OF-3 in NATO. The rank insignia is a silver oakleaf cluster with a silver pip (star). The OF-3 equivalent of the German Navy is the . History The r ...

Major (Sri Lanka) Major is a rank in the Sri Lanka Army. The rank insignia for a major is the Sri Lankan emblem. It ranks below lieutenant colonel and above captain. The equivalent is Lieutenant-Commander in the Sri Lanka Navy and Squadron Leader in the Sri Lank ...

Major (Sweden) Major (Maj) ( sv, Major, Mj) is a field grade military officer rank in the Swedish Armed Forces, above the rank of captain and below the rank of lieutenant colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of lieutenant commander in the Swedish Navy. H ...

Major (United Kingdom) Major (Maj) is a military rank which is used by both the British Army and Royal Marines. The rank is superior to captain and subordinate to lieutenant colonel. The insignia for a major is a crown. The equivalent rank in the Royal Navy is lieut ...

Major (United States) In the United States Army, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force, major is a field-grade military officer rank above the rank of captain and below the rank of lieutenant colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of lieutena ...

Insignia

Insignia of army majors.

File:ALB-Army-OF-3.svg, File:Australian Army OF-3.svg, File:Bangladesh-army-OF-3.svg, File:Army-BEL-OF-03.svg, File:Bosnia and Herzegovina Major Insignia.svg, File:Major Exército-V.gif, File:Rank insignia of mayor of the Colombian Army.svg, File:Army-HRV-OF-03.svg, File:Cdn-Army-Maj(OF-3)-2014 - Copy.svg, File:CzArmy 2011 OF3-Major shoulder.svg, File:Rank insignia of major of the Royal Danish Army.svg, File:Mayorwikifixed.svg, File:EgyptianArmyInsignia-Major.svg, File:ES-Army-OF3.png, File:Majuri kauluslaatta.svg, File:Army-FRA-OF-03.svg, File:Georgia Army OF-4.png, File:HD H 51 Major FJg.svg, File:Army-GRE-OF-03.svg, File:Rank Army Hungary OF-03.svg, File:IFRmajor.PNG, File:Major of the Indian Army.svg, File:16-TNI Army-MAJ.svg, File:IDF rav seren.svg, File:IT-Army-OF3.svg, File:Major of Malaysian Army.png, File:Nl-landmacht-majoor.svg, File:Nigeria-Army-OF-3.svg, File:Army-NOR-OF-03.svg, File:OF-3 Pakistan Army.svg, File:PA MAJ Svc.svg, File:Army-POL-OF-03.svg, File:16 - Major.svg, File:RO-Army-OF3.png, File:Russia-Army-OF-3-2010.svg, File:12-Serbian_Army-MAJ.svg, File:04-RSA-OF03.svg, File:11-Somali Army-MAJ.svg, File:SAA-OF-3.svg, File:Spain-Army-OF-3.svg, File:OF-3 Major.jpg, File:CHE OF3 Maj.svg, File:Taiwan-army-OF-3.svg, File:RTA OF-3 (Major).svg, File:Turkey-army-OF-3.svg, File:UA shoulder mark 15.svg, File:British Army OF-3.svg, File:US Army O4 (Army greens).svg,

Insignia of air force majors

File:Fuerza Aerea Argentina - Mayor.svg, File:Major-vertical fab.gif, File:RNAF Maj.svg, File:Naramenica službene odore bojnika HRZ i PZO.svg, File:RDAF Maj.svg, File:Georgia Air Force OF-4.png, File:LD B 51 Major.svg, File:16-TNI Air Force-MAJ.svg, File:IDF rav seren silver-2.svg, File:IT-Airforce-OF-3.png, File:Mayor FAM.GIF, File:PAF MAJ Svc.svg, File:Major Lotnicze.png, File:Major t.jpg, File:Russia-Airforce-OF-3-2010.svg, File:OF-3 Major FV hylsa.jpg, File:Turkey-air-force-OF-3.svg File:US Air Force O4 shoulderboard.svg,

Insignia of naval infantry majors

File:IDF rav seren gold-2.svg, File:PHIL ARMY MAJ WOODLAND.svg, File:OF-3 Major AMF hylsa.jpg, File:British Royal Marines OF-3.svg, File:US Marine O4 shoulderboard vertical.svg, File:16-TNI Navy-LCDR.svg,

Insignia of majors of other services

File:US Space-force O4 (interim).svg,

United States Space Force The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and the world's only independent space force. Along with its sister branch, the U.S. Air Force, the Space ...

References

{{Authority control Military ranks