Meaning & use
brigadiere
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountablemilitary
A rank in the Italian army or police, above a sergeant and below a lieutenant.
Grammar: Use it like a title before a name: 'Brigadiere Rossi', or with 'a' when talking about the rank in general.
Patterns
- Brigadiere + name
- a brigadiere in the army
He was promoted to brigadiere after ten years of service.
Brigadiere Rossi led the patrol through the old town.
The carabinieri unit was commanded by a brigadiere.
Word forms
| plural | brigadieri |
|---|
Common combinations
- Brigadiere Rossi
- Brigadiere Rossi signed the report.
- promoted to brigadiere
- She was promoted to brigadiere last spring.
- a brigadiere in the carabinieri
- A brigadiere in the carabinieri stopped the car.
Synonyms and how they differ
- brigadier
- The English equivalent, but in the British army it is a much higher rank than the Italian brigadiere.
- sergeant
- A more general English rank; brigadiere is specifically Italian and sits between sergeant and lieutenant.
Word family
- brigade noun
- A large military unit; the rank name comes from this word.
Commonly confused: brigadiere or brigadier?
brigadiere vs brigadier
A brigadier in the British army commands a brigade, while an Italian brigadiere is a much more junior rank.
Practice
What is a brigadiere?
Choose one answer.
A brigadiere is an Italian rank above sergeant and below lieutenant, used in the army and police. The other options describe unrelated things that happen to sound Italian.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “brigadiere”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.