Major is a senior military
officer
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...
rank
A rank is a position in a hierarchy. It can be formally recognized—for example, cardinal, chief executive officer, general, professor—or unofficial.
People Formal ranks
* Academic rank
* Corporate title
* Diplomatic rank
* Hierarchy ...
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
A senior officer is an officer of a more senior grade in military or other uniformed services. In military organisations, the term may refer to any officer above junior officer rank, but usually specifically refers to the middle-ranking group of ...
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
Sergeant major general is a now mostly-unused military rank. A prominent example was Philip Skippon in the English New Model Army as organized by Oliver Cromwell.
Over the course of the 17th century, the increasing professionalisation of armies ...
, 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
A drum major or field commander is the leader of a marching band, drum and bugle corps, or pipe band, usually positioned at the head of the band or corps. The drum major is often dressed in more ornate clothing than the rest of the band or cor ...
.
Links to major ranks by country
Alphabetically sorted by name of country:
*
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 ...
*
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 ...
*
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 ...
*
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 ...
*
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 ...
*
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 ...
*
Major (India)
The Indian Army (IA), the land component of the Indian Armed Forces, follows a certain hierarchy of rank designations and insignia derived from the erstwhile British Indian Army (BIA).
History
1947–1950
Upon the Indian Independence Act ...
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
The Antigua and Barbuda Regiment is the infantry unit and main fighting arm of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force. Previously known as the Rifle Company, it was formed in 1995. The regiment main weapons include M-16 rifles and M60 machine guns ...
)
(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
The Armenian Ground Forces () is the collective term for personnel branches of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia that are responsible for the country's land-based operations. It was established in conjunction with the other compon ...
)
(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
The Austrian Armed Forces () are the combined military forces of Austria.
The military consists of 16,000 active-duty personnel and 125,600 reservists. The military budget is 1.0% of national GDP (including pensions) or €3.317 billion (202 ...
)
(Azerbaijani Land Forces
The Azerbaijani Land Forces () are the land force component of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan has been trying to create professional, well trained, and mobile armed forces. Based on 2013 statistics, th ...
)
(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
The Belarusian Ground Forces, also called the Belarusian army, is the land warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of Belarus.
Since the abolition of the Main Staff of the Ground Forces in 2012, the three regional operational commands of the ...
)
(Belgian Land Component
The Land Component (, ), historically and commonly still referred to as the Belgian Army (, ), is the land branch of the Belgian Armed Forces. The King of the Belgians is the commander in chief. The current chief of staff of the Land Component i ...
)
(Belize Defence Force
The Belize Defence Force (BDF) is the military of Belize, and is responsible for protecting the sovereignty of the country. The BDF is under the Ministry of National Defence and Border Security, which is currently headed by Hon. Florencio Marin ...
)
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
The Botswana Ground Forces is the army of the country of Botswana, and the land component of the Botswana Defence Force.
History
The Botswana Defence Force was raised in April 1977 by an Act of Parliament called the 'BDF Act NO 13 of 1977. At i ...
)
(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
The Chilean Army () is the land arm of the Chilean Armed Forces. This 80,000-person army (9,200 of which are conscripts) is organized into six divisions, an army aviation brigade and a special operations brigade.
In recent years, and after sever ...
)
(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
The Cuban Revolutionary Army () serve as the ground forces of Cuba. Formed in 1868 during the Ten Years' War, it was originally known as the Cuban Constitutional Army. Following the Cuban Revolution, the revolutionary military forces was recon ...
)
(Czech Land Forces
The Czech Land Forces () are the land warfare forces of the Czech Republic. The Land Forces consisting of various types of arms and services complemented by air and special operations forces constitute the core of the Army of the Czech Republic ...
)
(Royal Danish Army
The Royal Danish Army (; ; ) is the land-based branch of the Danish Armed Forces, together with the Danish Home Guard. For the last decade, the Royal Danish Army has undergone a massive transformation of structures, equipment and training methods ...
)
(Dominican Army
The Dominican Army (), is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Dominican Republic, together with the Dominican Navy, Navy and the Dominican Air Force, Air Force.
The Dominican army with 28,750 active duty personnel consists of s ...
)
(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
The Salvadoran Army (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Ejército Salvadoreño'') is the land branch and largest of the Armed Forces of El Salvador.
History The Football War
The Football War (also called The Soccer War or 100-hours War) was a ter ...
)
(Estonian Land Forces
The Estonian Land Forces (), unofficially referred to as the Estonian Army, is the name of the unified ground forces among the Estonian Defense Forces where it has an offensive military formation role. The Estonian Land Forces is currently the ...
)
(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
The Finnish Army ( , ) is the army, land forces branch of the Finnish Defence Forces. The Finnish Army is divided into six branches: infantry (which includes armoured units), field artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, Combat engineering, engineer ...
)
( 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
The Guatemalan Armed Forces () is the unified military organization comprising the Guatemalan Army, Navy, Air Force, and Presidential Honor Guard. The president of Guatemala is the commander-in-chief of the military, and formulates policy, tra ...
)
( Army of Guinea-Bissau)
File:Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Major rank insignia.svg, Major
( Guyana Army)
(Honduran Army
The Honduran Army is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of Honduras, as established by the Constitution of Honduras, 1982 Constitution. Its recruits are all volunteers.
History
The Honduran Army has its roots in the post-independen ...
)
(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
The Indonesian Army ( (TNI-AD), ) is the army, land branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It has an estimated strength of 300,400 active personnel. The history of the Indonesian Army has its roots in 1945 when the (TKR) "People's Se ...
)
(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
The Kyrgyz Ground Forces, or simply the Kyrgyz Army, is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan.
History
In April 1992, Kyrgyzstan formed a State Committee for Defense Affairs, and in June the republic took cont ...
)
(Latvian Land Forces
The Latvian Land Forces () together with the Latvian National Guard form the land warfare branch of the Latvian National Armed Forces. From 2007 to 2024, the Land Forces were organized as a fully professional standing army until the re-introducti ...
)
( 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
The Moldovan Ground Forces, known officially as Land Forces Command is the Army, land armed-forces branch of the Moldovan National Army, National Army of the Moldovan Armed Forces. The Moldovan Ground Forces date back to the dissolution of the Sovi ...
)
(Montenegrin Ground Army
Montenegrin Ground Army () is the ground force of the Armed Forces of Montenegro.
Montenegrin Army
The fundamental role and purpose of the Montenegrin Army is to protect vital national interests of Montenegro and defend the sovereignty and terri ...
)
( Mozambican Army)
File:10-Namibia Army-MAJ.svg, Major
(Namibian Army
The Namibian Army is the ground warfare branch of the Namibian Defence Force.
History
Development of Namibia's army was the fastest of the three arms of service. The first units of the Army were deployed as early as 1990. The Army was formed ...
)
(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
The Nicaraguan Armed Forces () are the military forces of Nicaragua. There are three branches: the Nicaraguan Navy, Navy, the Nicaraguan Army, Army, and Nicaraguan Air Force, Air Force.
History
National Guard, 1925–1979
The long years o ...
)
(Nigerian Army
The Nigerian Army (NA) is the land force of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the largest component of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The President of Nigeria is the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Army, and its professional head is the Chie ...
)
(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
The Paraguayan Army () is the ground force branch of the Armed Forces of Paraguay. It is organized into three corps and nine divisions, and several commands and direction. It has gone to war on many occasions, notably in the War of the Triple A ...
)
(Peruvian Army
The Peruvian Army (, abbreviated EP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with safeguarding the independence, sovereignty and integrity of national territory on land through military force. Additional missions include assistance in s ...
)
(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
The Portuguese Army () is the land component of the Portuguese Armed Forces, Armed Forces of Portugal and is also its largest branch. It is charged with the defence of Portugal, in co-operation with other branches of the Armed Forces. With its ...
)
(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
The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces.
The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...
)
( Rwandan Land Forces)
( SKN Regiment)
( Army of São Tomé and Príncipe)
File:12-Serbian Army-MAJ.svg,
(Serbian Army
The Serbian Army () is the land-based and the largest component of the Serbian Armed Forces. Its organization, composition, weapons and equipment are adapted to the assigned missions and tasks of the Serbian Armed Forces, primarily for operatio ...
)
( Seychelles Army)
( Slovak Ground Forces)
(Slovenian Ground Force
The Slovenian Ground Force is the primary component of Slovenian Armed Forces.
History
The current Slovenian Armed Forces are descended from the Territorial Defense of the Republic of Slovenia (''Teritorialna Obramba Republike Slovenije''; ''TO ...
)
(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
The Sri Lanka Army (; ) is the oldest and largest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. The army was officially established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, though the army traces its roots back in 1881 when Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers was created; ...
)
( 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
The Swiss Armed Forces (; ; ; ; ) are the military and security force of Switzerland, consisting of land and air service branches. Under the country's militia system, regular soldiers constitute a small part of the military and the rest are ...
)
(Tajik Ground Forces
The Tajik Ground Forces (), known officially as the Ground Forces of the Ministry of Defense of Tajikistan are the land forces of the Armed Forces of Tajikistan. Formed during the Tajikistani Civil War, it makes up about 70 percent of the country ...
)
(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
The Trinidad and Tobago Regiment is the main ground force element of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. It has approximately 10,000 men and women organized into a Regiment Headquarters (located in Port of Spain) and four battalions. There is ...
)
(Turkmen Ground Forces
The Turkmen Ground Forces () is the army branch of the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan. The ground forces include the 2nd Training Motor Rifle Division "Alp Arslan", 2nd, 3rd, 11th Motor Rifle Division "Sultan Sanjar", 11th, and 22nd Motor Rifle Div ...
)
( Ugandan Land Forces)
(Ukrainian Ground Forces
The Ukrainian Ground Forces (SVZSU, ), also referred to as the Ukrainian army, is a land force, and one of the eight Military branch, branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was formed from Ukrainian units of the Soviet Army after Declaratio ...
)
(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
The Uzbek Ground Forces are the land component of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Operating since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the army is made up of former Soviet Army units that were in the territory of Uzbekistan. A ...
)
(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
The Bolivarian Army of Venezuela (), is the land arm of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela. Also known as Bolivarian Army (''Ejército Bolivariano'', EB), its role is to be responsible for land-based operations against external o ...
)
(Zimbabwe National Army
The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) is the primary branch of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces responsible for land-oriented military operations. It is the largest service branch under the Zimbabwean Joint Operations Command (JOC). The modern army h ...
)
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