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
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
in armies and air forces, and one rank below
lieutenant colonel. It is considered the most junior of the
senior officer ranks.
Background
Etymologically, the word stems from the
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
word meaning "greater". The rank can be traced back to the rank of
sergeant major general, which was shortened to
sergeant major
Sergeant major is a senior Non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned Military rank, 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 ...
, and subsequently shortened to ''major''.
When used in hyphenated or combined fashion, the term can also imply seniority at other levels of rank, including
major general, denoting a low-level general officer, and
sergeant major
Sergeant major is a senior Non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned Military rank, 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 ...
, denoting the most senior
non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...
(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 or
drum-major.
Links to major ranks by country
Alphabetically sorted by name of country:
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Major (Canada)
Major is a rank of the Canadian Armed Forces for officers who wear the army or air force uniform. It is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant-commander for officers who wear the navy uniform, and is the lowest rank of senior officer. A major is sen ...
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Major (France)
() is the seniormost non-commissioned officer rank in France and other Francophone countries. Unlike most other countries which use the old European rank system, France uses as its lowest ranking Senior officer#France, senior officer.
While t ...
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Major (Germany)
() is the lowest Staff (military), staff Officer (armed forces), officer rank in the German Army, German Air Force. The rank is rated Ranks and insignia of NATO armies officers, OF-3 in NATO. The rank insignia is a silver oakleaf cluster with ...
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Major (Sweden)
Major (Maj) (, 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.
History ...
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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 (British Army and Royal Marines), captain and subordinate to Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom), lieutenant colonel. The i ...
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Major (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Air Force, Air Force and United States Space Force, Space Force, major is a field officer above the military rank, rank of Captain (United States O-3), captain an ...
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Major (India)
Insignia
Army insignia
File:ALB-Army-OF-3.svg,
( Albanian Land Force)
(Angolan Army
The Angolan Army () is the land component of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA).
History
On August 1, 1974, a few months after a military coup d'état had overthrown the Lisbon regime and proclaimed its intention of granting independence to Angola, ...
)
( Antigua and Barbuda Regiment)
(Argentine Army
The Argentine Army () is the Army, land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of Argentina. Under the Argentine Constitution, the president of Argentina is the commander-in-chief of the Armed For ...
)
( Armenian Ground Forces)
(Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia. It is a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army ...
)
( Austrian Land Forces)
( Azerbaijani Land Forces)
(Bangladesh Army
The Bangladesh Army () is the land warfare branch, and the largest component of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to defend the land of Bangladesh from any external attack. Control of personnel and operations is ad ...
)
(Barbados Regiment
The Barbados Regiment is the land force component of the Barbados Defence Force. Its main tasks are the defence of Barbados from external threats, internal security and assisting the local police in maintaining law and order. The regiment also pr ...
)
( Belarusian Ground Forces)
( Belgian Land Component)
( Belize Defence Force)
File:MayorEB.svg,
(Bolivian Army
The Bolivian Army () is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of Bolivia.
Figures on the size and composition of the Bolivian army vary considerably, with little official data available. It is estimated that the army has between 26,000 and 6 ...
)
( Bosnian Ground Forces)
( Botswana Ground Force)
(Brazilian Army
The Brazilian Army (; EB) is the branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible, externally, for defending the country in eminently terrestrial operations and, internally, for guaranteeing law, order and the constitutional branches, subordina ...
)
( Royal Brunei Land Force)
( Bulgarian Land Forces)
( Burundi Army)
(Canadian Army
The Canadian Army () is the command (military formation), command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also re ...
)
( Cape Verdean National Guard)
( Chilean Army)
(Colombian National Army
The National Army of Colombia () is the land warfare service branch of the Military Forces of Colombia. With over 361,420 active personnel as of 2020, it is the largest and oldest service branch in Colombia, and is the second largest army in the ...
)
( Land Forces of the DR Congo)
File:Cuba-Army-OF-3.svg,
( Cuban Revolutionary Army)
( Czech Land Forces)
( Royal Danish Army)
( Dominican Army)
(Ecuadorian Army
The Ecuadorian Army () is the land component of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces. Its 25,650 active soldiers are deployed in relation to its military doctrine. The contemporary Ecuadorian Army incorporates many jungle and special forces infantry un ...
)
( Salvadoran Army)
( Estonian Land Forces)
(Fiji Infantry Regiment
The Fiji Infantry Regiment is the main combat element of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces. It is a light infantry regiment consisting of six battalions, of which three are regular army and three are Territorial Force. The regiment was formed ...
)
File:Majuri kauluslaatta.svg,
( Finnish Army)
( Gambian National Army)
File:Georgia-Army-OF-3.svg,
(Georgian Land Forces
The Georgian Land Forces ( ka, საქართველოს სახმელეთო ძალები) are the land force component of the Defense Forces of Georgia. They are the largest branch of the military and constitute the bulk o ...
)
(German Army
The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...
)
( Guatemalan Army)
( Army of Guinea-Bissau)
File:Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Major rank insignia.svg, Major
( Guyana Army)
( Honduran Army)
(Indian Army
The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...
)
( Indonesian Army)
(Italian Army
The Italian Army ( []) is the Army, land force branch of the Italian Armed Forces. The army's history dates back to the Italian unification in the 1850s and 1860s. The army fought in colonial engagements in China and Italo-Turkish War, Libya. It ...
)
( Jamaican Army)
(Kazakh Ground Forces
The Kazakh Ground Forces (, ; ) is the land Military branch, service branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is one of the three uniformed military services, and is the most senior branch of the Kazakh military in order of pr ...
)
( Kenya Army)
(Kosovo Security Force
The Kosovo Security Force (KSF) is the military of Kosovo. The KSF is tasked with defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kosovo, military support for civilian authorities, and participation in international Peacekeeping, peacekee ...
)
( Kyrgyz Army)
( Latvian Land Forces)
( Lesotho Army)
( Liberian Ground Forces)
( Lithuanian Land Force)
(Luxembourg Army
The Luxembourg Armed Forces (; ) are the national military force of Luxembourg. The army has been a fully volunteer military since 1967. , it has 939 personnel.
The army is under civilian control of the military, civilian control, with the Gran ...
)
( North Macedonia Ground Forces)
(Malaysian Army
The Malaysian Army (; Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ) is the land component of the Malaysian Armed Forces. Steeped in British Army traditions, the Malaysian Army does not carry the title ‘royal’ () as do the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysi ...
)
( Malawi Army)
File:Maldives Army OF-3.svg,
( Maldivian Marine Corps)
( Army of Malta)
(Mexican Army
The Mexican Army () is the combined Army, land and Air Force, air branch and is the largest part of the Mexican Armed Forces; it is also known as the National Defense Army.
The Army is under the authority of the Secretariat of National Defense o ...
)
( Moldovan Ground Forces)
( Montenegrin Ground Army)
( Mozambican Army)
File:10-Namibia Army-MAJ.svg, Major
( Namibian Army)
(Royal Netherlands Army
The Royal Netherlands Army (, KL) is the Ground warfare, land branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Though the Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, its origins date back to 1572, when the was raised making the Dutch standing a ...
)
(New Zealand Army
The New Zealand Army (, ) is the principal Army, land warfare force of New Zealand, a component of the New Zealand Defence Force alongside the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Formed in 1845, as the New Zealand Mil ...
)
( Nicaraguan Army)
( Nigerian Army)
(Norwegian Army
The Norwegian Army () is the land warfare service branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces. The Army is the oldest of the Norwegian service branches, established as a modern military organization under the command of the King of Norway in 1628. The ...
)
(Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...
)
( Papua New Guinea Land Element)
File:Paraguay-Army-OF-3.svg,
( Paraguayan Army)
( Peruvian Army)
(Philippine Army
The Philippine Army (PA) () is the main, oldest and largest branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), responsible for ground warfare. , it had an estimated strength of 143,100 soldiers The service branch was established on December ...
)
(Polish Land Forces
The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 110,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history str ...
)
( Portuguese Army)
(Romanian Land Forces
The Romanian Land Forces () is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. Since 2007, full professionalization and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Land Forces.
The Romanian Land Force ...
)
( Russian Ground Forces)
( Rwandan Land Forces)
( SKN Regiment)
( Army of São Tomé and Príncipe)
File:12-Serbian Army-MAJ.svg,
( Serbian Army)
( Seychelles Army)
( Slovak Ground Forces)
( Slovenian Ground Force)
(South African Army
The South African Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Servi ...
)
( Sri Lanka Army)
( Suriname Army)
(Swedish Army
The Swedish Army () is the army, land force of the Swedish Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Beginning with its service in 1521, the Swedish Army has been active for more than 500 years.
History
Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1 ...
)
( Swiss Army)
( Tajik Ground Forces)
(Tanzanian Army
Demographic features of the population of Tanzania include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population.
The population distribution in Tan ...
)
File:10.TLDF-MAJ.svg,
( Timor-Leste Army)
( Tongan Land Component)
( Trinidad and Tobago Regiment)
( Turkmen Ground Forces)
( Ugandan Land Forces)
( Ukrainian Ground Forces)
(British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
)
(United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
)
( National Army of Uruguay)
( Uzbek Ground Forces)
(Swiss Guard
The Pontifical Swiss Guard,; ; ; ; , %5BCorps of the Pontifical Swiss Guard%5D. ''vatican.va'' (in Italian). Retrieved 19 July 2022. also known as the Papal Swiss Guard or simply Swiss Guard,Swiss Guards , History, Vatican, Uniform, Require ...
)
( Venezuelan Army)
( Zimbabwe National Army)
See also
*
List of comparative military ranks
This article is a list of various Sovereign state, nations' armed forces military rank, ranking designations. Comparisons are made between the different systems used by nations to categorize the hierarchy of an armed force compared to another. S ...
References
{{Authority control
Military ranks
Pakistan Army ranks