a young person undergoing preliminary training, usually before full entry to the uniformed services, police, etc, esp for officer status (in England and in France before 1789) a gentleman, usually a younger son, who entered the army to prepare for a commission a younger son or brother - cadet branch ⇒
the family or family branch of a younger son (in New Zealand) a person learning sheep farming on a sheep station
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
ca•det /kəˈdɛt/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- Militarya student in a service school who is training to be an officer.
ca•det
(kə det′),USA pronunciation n.
ca•det′ship, n.
Ca•det (kə det′),USA pronunciation n. [Russ. Hist.]
- Militarya student in a national service academy or private military school or on a training ship.
- Militarya student in training for service as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, Air Force, or Coast Guard. Cf. midshipman (def. 1).
- Educationa trainee in a business or profession.
- a younger son or brother.
- the youngest son.
- (formerly) a gentleman, usually a younger son, who entered the army to prepare for a subsequent commission.
- Also called cadet′ blue′. a grayish to strong blue color.
- Also called cadet′ gray′. a bluish-gray to purplish-blue color.
- Slang Termsa pimp.
- Latin capitellum literally, small head; see capital2
- Gascon capdet chief, captain (referring to the younger sons of noble families); compare Old Provencal capdel headman
- French
- 1600–10
Ca•det (kə det′),USA pronunciation n. [Russ. Hist.]
- a member of the former Constitutional Democratic party.
- Russian kadét, equivalent. to ka + de (the letter names of k, d, representing konstitutsiónnyĭ demokrát Constitutional Democrat) + -t from kadét (now obsolete) cadet
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'cadet' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
aviation cadet
- caddie
- cadet cloth
- doolie
- duniewassal
- enlisted man
- midshipman
- pass out
- space cadet