Meaning & use
Col.
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Meanings
abbreviationbefore a nounmilitary
The written short form of the military rank of colonel, placed before a person's name.
Grammar: Used before a surname or full name: Col. Smith, Col. Jane Doe. It is not used as a standalone noun.
Patterns
- Col. + surname
- Col. + first name + surname
The parade was led by Col. Ramirez.
Please address the letter to Col. Jane Doe, not to her first name alone.
Col. Harris will brief the troops at dawn.
abbreviationmilitary
A written short form for the word colonel when it appears in titles, lists, or addresses.
Grammar: Often used in envelopes, name tags, and official documents where space is limited.
On the envelope, write 'Col. and Mrs. Lee'.
The guest list included Gen. Moore and Col. Adams.
His business card says 'Col. (Ret.) Thomas Green'.
Common combinations
- Col. (Ret.)
- Col. (Ret.) Baker now teaches history at the academy.
- Lt. Col.
- She was promoted to Lt. Col. last year.
- Col. Smith
- Col. Smith inspected the troops.
Commonly confused: Col. or kernel?
Col. vs kernel
This is the pronunciation of 'colonel' but not its spelling. A kernel is the edible part of a nut or grain, or the central part of something.
Practice
Which sentence uses the abbreviation correctly?
Choose one answer.
Col. is used before a name, as in 'Col. Martin'. It is not used as a standalone noun (as in 'a col.' or 'the Col.'), and it should be capitalized when it is part of a title.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Col.”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.