Major
Encyclopedia
Major is a rank
of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.
When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel
. It is considered the most junior of the field ranks
. In some militaries, notably France, the rank is referred to as commandant, while in others it is known as "captain-major". It is also used in some police
forces and other paramilitary rank structures.
When used in hyphenated or combined fashion, the term can also imply seniority at other levels of rank, including "general-major" or "major general
", denoting a mid-level general officer, and "sergeant major
", denoting the most senior NCO
of a military unit.
It can also be used with a hyphen to denote the leader of a military band such as in pipe-major or drum-major.
Military rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.
When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
. It is considered the most junior of the field ranks
Field officer
A field officer is an army, marine, or air force commissioned officer senior in rank to a company officer but junior to a general officer; in some navies, it is an officer who is a Lieutenant Commander, Commander, or Captain....
. In some militaries, notably France, the rank is referred to as commandant, while in others it is known as "captain-major". It is also used in some police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
forces and other paramilitary rank structures.
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
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
", denoting a mid-level general officer, and "sergeant major
Sergeant Major
Sergeants major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. In Commonwealth countries, Sergeants Major are usually appointments held by senior non-commissioned officers or warrant officers...
", denoting the most senior NCO
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
of a military unit.
It 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
- Major (Canada)Major (Canada)Major is a rank of the Canadian Forces. The rank insignia of a major is two half-inch stripes with a quarter-inch stripe between. Majors fill the positions of Company/Squadron/Battery Commanders, or Deputy Commanders of a Battalion/Regiment; in the Air Force they are typically squadron...
- Maggiore (Italy)
- Majuri (Finland)Finnish military ranksFinnish military ranks form a system that incorporates features from Swedish, German, and Russian armed forces. In addition, the system has some typically Finnish characteristics that are mostly due to the personnel structure of the Finnish Defence Forces. The ranks have official names in Finnish...
- Major (Germany)Major (Germany)Major is a rank of the German military which dates back to the Middle Ages.It equates to Major in the British and US Armies, and is rated OF-3 in NATO.During World War II, the SS equivalent was Sturmbannführer....
- Tagmatarchis (GreeceGreek military ranksModern Greek military ranks are based on Ancient Greek & Byzantine terminology, even though the ranks correspond to those of other Western armies...
)
- Majoras (Lithuania)
- Majoor (the Netherlands)
- Major (Poland)
- Major (Sri Lanka)Major (Sri Lanka)In the Sri Lanka Army, major is a military rank which is used the Sri Lanka Army. The rank insignia for a major is the Sri Lankan coat of arms. The equivalent is Lieutenant-Commander in the Sri Lanka Navy and Squadron Leader in the Sri Lanka Air Force....
- Major (Sweden)Major (Sweden)Finnish Defence Forces rank of Majuri is comparable to Ranks of NATO armies officers as OF-3- 1600 - 1700 :The original title was Sergeant Major, which means the most senior servant to the Överste....
- Major (United Kingdom)
- Major (United States)Major (United States)In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
Links to ranks equivalent to Major by country
- Jagran (جګړن) (Afghanistan)
- 少校 (Shaoxiao) (PR China)
- Bojnik (Croatia)Croatian military ranks-Army and air force ranks:Labels ranks for members of the Croatian Ground Army and Croatian Air Force and Defense are identical, except that the ranks of the Ground Army are gold and of the Air Force and Defense are silver.-Navy ranks:...
- Ra'Ed (راىد) (Egypt and most Arab League member countries)
- Commandant (France)
- Tagmatarchis (Ταγματάρχης) (Greece & Cyprus)
- Őrnagy (Hungary)
- CommandantCommandantCommandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
(Ireland) - Rav seren (רב סרן) (Israel)
- Mayor (Indonesia)
- Shousa (Japan)
- 소좌 (North Korea)
- 소령 (South Korea)
- Mejar (Malaysia)
- SturmbannführerSturmbannführerSturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
(SchutzstaffelSchutzstaffelThe Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
and paramilitary organisations of Nazi GermanyNazi GermanyNazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
) - Comandante (Spain)
- 少校 (Shaohsiao) (Republic of China/Taiwan)
- Binbaşı (Turkey)
- Thiếu Tá (Vietnam)
- Major (Serbia)