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Major (rank)

Major is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators, major is one rank above captain in armies and air forces, and one rank below lieutenant colonel. It is considered the most junior of the senior officer ranks.[1]

Not to be confused with Mayor.

Background[edit]

Etymologically, the word stems from the Latin word major meaning "greater".[2] The rank can be traced back to the rank of sergeant major general, which was shortened to sergeant major, and subsequently shortened to major.[3]


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, denoting the most senior non-commissioned officer (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.

Major (Canada)

Major (France)

Major (Germany)

Major (Sri Lanka)

Major (Sweden)

Major (United Kingdom)

Major (United States)

Alphabetically sorted by name of country:

մայոր
Mayor
(Armenian Ground Forces)[8]

մայոր Mayor (Armenian Ground Forces)[8]

মেজর
Mējara
(Bangladesh Army)[12]

মেজর Mējara (Bangladesh Army)[12]

Майор
Mayor
(Bulgarian Land Forces)[21]

Майор Mayor (Bulgarian Land Forces)[21]

Major
(Kirundi: Majoro)
(Burundi Army)[22]

Major (Kirundi: Majoro) (Burundi Army)[22]

Major
(French: Major)
(Canadian Army)[23]

Major (French: Major) (Canadian Army)[23]

Majuri
(Swedish: Major)
(Finnish Army)[34]

Majuri (Swedish: Major) (Finnish Army)[34]

მაიორი
Maiori
(Georgian Land Forces)[35]

მაიორი Maiori (Georgian Land Forces)[35]

Maggiore (Italian Army)[42]

Майор
Mayor
(Kazakh Ground Forces)[44]

Майор Mayor (Kazakh Ground Forces)[44]

Майор
Mayor
(Kyrgyz Army)[47]

Майор Mayor (Kyrgyz Army)[47]

Major (Malawi Army)

މޭޖަރ
Meyjar
(Maldivian Marine Corps)[55]

މޭޖަރ Meyjar (Maldivian Marine Corps)[55]

Maġġur (Army of Malta)[56]

Major
(Urdu: میجر)
(Pakistan Army)[66]

Major (Urdu: میجر) (Pakistan Army)[66]

Майо́р
Majór
(Russian Ground Forces)[73]

Майо́р Majór (Russian Ground Forces)[73]

Мајор
Major
(Serbian Army)[76]

Мајор Major (Serbian Army)[76]

Майор
Mayor
(Tajik Ground Forces)[85]

Майор Mayor (Tajik Ground Forces)[85]

Майор Maior (Ukrainian Ground Forces)[91]

List of comparative military ranks