Meaning & use
regiment
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Meanings
nouncountablemilitary
A permanent army unit made up of several smaller units, led by a colonel.
Grammar: Often takes a name: the first regiment.
Patterns
- join a regiment
- serve in a regiment
His grandfather served in a cavalry regiment during the war.
The regiment marched through the town square.
She was proud to join her father's old regiment.
nouncountablefigurative
A large group of people or things, organized or moving in a row.
Grammar: Often followed by of: a regiment of waiters.
Patterns
- a regiment of something
A regiment of tourists lined up for the bus.
A regiment of tulips lined the garden path.
verbtransitivedisapproving
To organize and control people very strictly, so that they must obey fixed rules.
Grammar: Takes an object, usually as a passive: a regimented life.
Patterns
- regiment someone
- be regimented
The camp tried to regiment every hour of the children's day.
Boarding school life was strictly regimented.
He disliked how the manager regimented the staff.
Word forms
| plural | regiments |
|---|---|
| third person singular | regiments |
| past tense | regimented |
| past participle | regimented |
| -ing form | regimenting |
Common combinations
- cavalry regiment
- He commanded a cavalry regiment.
- infantry regiment
- The infantry regiment was sent to the border.
- join a regiment
- At eighteen, he joined a regiment.
- regimented routine
- Her regimented routine left no room for spontaneity.
- regiment of
- A regiment of reporters waited outside.
Synonyms and how they differ
- battalion
- A battalion is a smaller unit, and a regiment can contain several battalions.
- unit
- Unit is a general word for any group within an army, while regiment names a specific type.
- organize
- Organize is neutral, whereas regiment as a verb implies strict, rigid control.
- control
- Control is broader, while regiment suggests orders and routines applied to many people.
Opposites
Word family
- regimental adjective
- belonging to a regiment
- regimented adjective
- strictly organized
- regimentation noun
- strict control and order
Commonly confused: regiment or regimen?
regiment vs regimen
A regimen is a planned routine, such as a diet or exercise plan, while a regiment is an army unit.
Practice
The doctor gave him a strict ___ of exercise and diet to follow.
Choose one answer.
Regimen is a planned routine for health. Regiment is an army unit, and the other options do not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “regiment”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.