General officer

Military rank

"General" redirects here. For other uses, see General (disambiguation).

"Generale" redirects here. For the 1978 song, see Generale (song).

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|

Comparative military ranks

| |  Armies,
air forces
(non-Commonwealth)|  Navies,
coast guards|  Air forces
(Commonwealth system)

|
|
|

General officers, Flag officers, Air officers
|  Marshal or
field marshal|  Admiral of the fleet|  Marshal of the air force
|  General or
colonel general or
army general|  Admiral|  Air chief marshal
|  Lieutenant general or
army corps general|  Vice admiral|  Air marshal
|  Major general or
divisional general|  Rear admiral or
counter admiral|  Air vice-marshal
|  Brigadier or
brigadier general|  Commodore or
flotilla admiral|  Air commodore
Senior officers
|  Colonel|  (Ship-of-the-line)
Captain|  Group captain
|  Lieutenant colonel|  Commander or
frigate captain|  Wing commander
|  Major or
commandant|  Lieutenant
commander or corvette captain|  Squadron leader
Junior officers
|  Captain|  Lieutenant|  Flight lieutenant
|  First lieutenant or
lieutenant|  Lieutenant
junior grade or
sub-lieutenant|  Flying officer
|  Second lieutenant or
junior lieutenant|  Ensign or
midshipman|  Pilot officer
Non-commissioned officers
|  Warrant officer or
sergeant major|  Warrant officer or
chief petty officer|  Warrant officer
|  Sergeant|  Petty officer|  Sergeant
|  Corporal or
bombardier|  Leading seaman|  Corporal
Enlisted ranks
|  Lance corporal or
Lance bombardier or
specialist|  Able seaman|  Leading aircraftman or
Air specialist
|  Private or
gunner or
trooper or
sapper|  Seaman|  Aircraftman or
airman or
aviator

* v
* t
* e

A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.[a]

In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel.[1]

The adjective general had been affixed to officer designations since the late medieval period to indicate relative superiority or an extended jurisdiction.

## French Revolutionary system

[edit]

For more information, see Général.

Marshal or Captain general

Army general
Corps general
Divisional general
Brigade general

## Arab system

[edit]

Rank  | Transliteration  | Translation  | Notes

|
|
|

مشير | Mushīr | Counsellor  | compare Counsellor of State, State Counsellor etc.
compare etymology "mushir" with "shura"
فريق أول | Fariq 'awal | First general  | equivalent to Commonwealth "full" general
فريق | Fariq | General  | equivalent to lieutenant general or corps general
لواء | liwāʾ | Ensign | (more loosely "flag officer" or "banner")
عميد | ʿamīd | Colonel
(not to be confused with aqīd, the
equivalent rank to a Commonwealth colonel) | compare etymology with "ʿamood" ("column");
etymologically, translates as "colonel" but
equivalent to brigadier/brigade general

## Other variations

[edit]

Other nomenclatures for general officers include the titles and ranks:

* Adjutant general
* Commandant-general
* Inspector general
* General-in-chief
* General of the Air Force (USAF only)
* General of the Armies of the United States (of America), a title created for General John J. Pershing, and subsequently granted posthumously to George Washington and Ulysses S. Grant
* Generaladmiral ("general admiral") (German Navy)
* Air general and aviation general
* Wing general and group general
* General-potpukovnik (transl. Lieutenant colonel general, a Serb/Slovenian/Macedonian rank immediately inferior to colonel general, and roughly equivalent to Commonwealth/US major general)
* Director general (a common administrative term sometimes used as an appointment in military services)
* Director general of national defence (most senior rank in the Mexican Armed Forces)
* Controller general (general officer rank in the French National Police)
* Prefect general (the most senior rank of the Argentine Naval Prefecture)
* Master-General of the Ordnance (very senior British military position)
* Police General (most senior rank in some national police)
* Commissioner (highest rank of the Bureau of Immigration)

In addition to militarily educated generals, there are also generals in medicine and engineering. The rank of the most senior chaplain, (chaplain general), is also usually considered to be a general officer rank.

## Specific rank of general

[edit]

In the old European system, a general, without prefix or suffix (and sometimes referred to informally as a "full general"), is usually the most senior type of general, above lieutenant general and directly below field marshal as a four-star rank (NATO OF-9).

Usually it is the most senior peacetime rank, with more senior ranks (for example, field marshal, marshal of the air force, fleet admiral) being used only in wartime or as honorary titles.

In some armies, however, the rank of captain general, army general or colonel general occupied or occupies this position. Depending on circumstances and the army in question, these ranks may be considered to be equivalent to a "full" general or to a field marshal five-star rank (NATO OF-10).

The rank of general came about as a "captain-general", the captain of an army in general (i.e., the whole army). The rank of captain-general began appearing around the time of the organisation of professional armies in the 17th century. In most countries "captain-general" contracted to just "general".

### General ranks by country

[edit]

The following articles deal with the rank of general, or its equivalent, as it is or was employed in the militaries of those countries:

* General (Australia)
* General (Bangladesh)
* General (Canada)
* Shangjiang (China) – People's Republic of China (PRC) and Republic of China (ROC/Taiwan)
* General (Denmark), General
* General (Estonia), Kindral
* General (Finland), Kenraali
* General (Germany), General
* Strategos (Greece)
* General (India)
* Daejang (North and South Korea)
* General (Mexico)
* General (Nigeria)
* General (Pakistan)
* General (Poland), Generał
* General (Sri Lanka)
* General (Sweden), General
* General (Switzerland)
* General (United Kingdom)
* General (United States)
* General (Yugoslav People's Army)

#### Army generals' insignia

[edit]

* Général
(Arabic: عميد, romanized: Amid)
(Algerian People's National Army)[2]

* General
(Angolan Army)

* General
(Australian Army)

* General
(Austrian Army)

* জেনারেল
General
(Bangladesh Army)

* Generaal
(Belgian Land Component)

* General
(Royal Bhutan Army)

* Jeneral
(Royal Brunei Land Force)

* Генерал
General
(Bulgarian Army)

* General
(Canadian Army)

* General
(Colombian Army)

* General
(Royal Danish Army)

* General
(Timor-Leste Army)

* Kindral
(Estonian Land Forces)

* ጄነራል
Jēnerali
(Ethiopian Ground Forces)

* Kenraali
(Finnish Army)

* General
(Gambian National Army)

* გენერალი
Generali
(Georgian Land Forces)

* General
(German Army)

* General
(Ghana Army)

* General
(Army of Guinea-Bissau)

* General
(Guyana Army)

* जनरल
General
(Indian Army)

* Jenderal
(Indonesian Army)

* Generale
(Italian Army)

* General
(Kenya Army)

* Général
(Luxembourg Army)

* Генерал
General
(Army of North Macedonia)

* General
(Malawian Army)

* Jeneral
(Malaysian Army)

* General
(Mexican Army)

* Генерал
Gyenyeral
(Mongolian Ground Force)

* General
(Namibian Army)

* General
(Nepal Army)

* Generaal
(Royal Netherlands Army)

* General
(Nigerian Army)

* General
(Norwegian Army)

* جنرل
General
(Pakistan Army)

* Heneral
(Philippine Army)

* Generał
(Polish Army)

* General
(Portuguese Army)

* General
(Romanian Land Forces)

* General
(Rwandan Defence Forces)

* Генерал
General
(Serbian Army)

* Generál
(Ground Forces of the Slovak Republic)

* General
(South African Army)

* General
(Sri Lanka Army)

* General
(Swedish Army)

* General
(Swiss Land Forces)

* Jenerali
(Tanzanian Army)

* General
(Ugandan Land Forces)

* Генерал
Heneral
(Ukrainian Ground Forces)

* General
(British Army)

* General
(U.S. Army)

* General
(Zimbabwe National Army)

#### Air force generals' insignia

[edit]

* General
(National Air Force of Angola)

* Generaal
(Belgian Air Component)

* Jeneral (Udara)
(Royal Brunei Air Force)

* Генерал
General
(Bulgarian Air Force)

* General
(Royal Canadian Air Force)

* General de aire
(Chilean Air Force)

* General de aire
(Colombian Air Force)

* General
(Royal Danish Air Force)

* General del aire
(Ecuadorian Air Force)

* Kindral
(Estonian Air Force)

* Kenraali
(Finnish Air Force)

* გენერალი
Generali
(Georgian Air Force)

* General
(German Air Force)

* General
(Kenya Air Force)

* Jeneral
(Royal Malaysian Air Force)

* Генерал
General
(Mongolian Air Force)

* Generaal
(Royal Netherlands Air Force)

* General
(Royal Norwegian Air Force)

* General del aire
(Peruvian Air Force)

* Heneral
(Philippine Air Force)

* Generał
(Polish Air Force)

* General
(Portuguese Air Force)

* General
(Romanian Air Force)

* General
(Rwandan Air Force)

* Генерал
General
(Serbian Air Force and Air Defence)

* Generál
(Slovak Air Force)

* General
(South African Air Force)

* General del aire
(Spanish Air and Space Force)

* General
(Swedish Air Force)

* General
(Tanzania Air Force Command)

* Orgeneral
(Turkish Air Force)

* General
(Ugandan Air Force)

* Генерал
Heneral
(Ukrainian Air Force)

* General
(US Air Force)

* General del aire
(Uruguayan Air Force)

#### Naval infantry generals' insignia

[edit]

* General
(Colombian Naval Infantry)

* Jenderal (Marinir)
(Indonesian Marine Corps)

* ޖެނެރަލް
General
(Maldivian Marine Corps)

* Generaal
(Netherlands Marine Corps)

* General
(Swedish Amphibious Corps)

* General
(Royal Marines)

* General
(US Marine Corps)

## Air force and naval equivalents

[edit]

Some countries (such as the United States) use the general officer ranks for both the army and the air force, as well as their marine corps; other states only use the general officer ranks for the army, while in the air force they use air officers as the equivalent of general officers. They use the air force rank of air chief marshal as the equivalent of the specific army rank of general. This latter group includes the British Royal Air Force and many current and former Commonwealth air forces—e.g. Royal Australian Air Force, Indian Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nigerian Air Force, Pakistan Air Force, etc.

In most navies, flag officers are the equivalent of general officers, and the naval rank of admiral is equivalent to the specific army rank of general. A noteworthy historical exception was the Cromwellian naval rank "general at sea". In recent years in the American service there is a tendency to use flag officer and flag rank to refer to generals and admirals of the services collectively.

## See also

[edit]

* General officers in the United States
* List of comparative military ranks
* List of Roman generals
* General officer commanding
* Général
* Generalissimo
* Shogun

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Within NATO rank structure, all branches (navy included) are referred to as general officers. In the United States, General Officers authorized to display a flag showing their rank are also called "flag officers". Refer: "Flag officer". Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012.[permanent dead link]. In other usages the term "flag officer" usually applies to naval ranks such as admiral, vice-admiral, or rear-admiral.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "general, adj. and n.". OED Online. March 2021. Oxford University Press. https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/77489?rskey=dCKrg4&result=1 (accessed May 11, 2021)
2. ^ "Ranks". mdn.dz (in French). Ministry of National Defence (Algeria). Retrieved 30 May 2021.

## External links

[edit]

Look up general officer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

* Generals of World War II
* Schema-root.org: US Generals News feeds for US Generals in the news
* Marines.mil: General Officer Biographies Archived 2008-03-18 at the Wayback Machine Biographies of US Marine Corps General Officers
* Bios & Information on Generals of Western History Information on 10 Generals who influenced Western History

* v
* t
* e

Military ranks and insignia by country

* List of comparative military ranks

Africa|

* Algeria
* Angola
* Benin
* Botswana
* Burkina Faso
* Burundi
* Cameroon
* Cape Verde
* Central African Republic
* Chad
* Comoros
* DR Congo
* Republic of the Congo
* Djibouti
* Egypt
* Equatorial Guinea
* Eritrea
* Eswatini
* Ethiopia
* Gabon
* Gambia
* Ghana
* Guinea
* Guinea-Bissau
* Ivory Coast
* Kenya
* Lesotho
* Liberia
* Libya
* Madagascar
* Malawi
* Mali
* Mauritania
* Morocco
* Mozambique
* Namibia
* Niger
* Nigeria
* Rwanda
* São Tomé and Príncipe
* Senegal
* Seychelles
* Sierra Leone
* Somalia
* South Africa
* South Sudan
* Sudan
* Tanzania
* Togo
* Tunisia
* Uganda
* Zambia
* Zimbabwe

States with
limited recognition|

* Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
* Somaliland

Former|

* People's Republic of Angola
* Biafra
* Bophuthatswana
* Ciskei
* Kingdom of Egypt
* Ethiopian Empire
* Katanga
* People's Republic of Mozambique
* Rhodesia
* South West Africa
* Transkei
* Venda
* Zaire

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Apartheid States in Southern Africa

Americas|

* Antigua and Barbuda
* Argentina
* Bahamas
* Barbados
* Belize
* Bolivia
* Brazil
* Canada
* Chile
* Colombia
* Cuba
* Dominican Republic
* Ecuador
* El Salvador
* Guatemala
* Guyana
* Haiti
* Honduras
* Jamaica
* Mexico
* Nicaragua
* Paraguay
* Peru
* Saint Kitts and Nevis
* Suriname
* Trinidad and Tobago
* United States
* Officers:
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Coast Guard
* Enlisted:
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Coast Guard
* Other:
* Marine Corps
* Space Force
* Warrant officer
* Opposing forces
* Uruguay
* Venezuela

Former|

* Canada (pre-Unification)
* Confederate States of America
* Union
* Army
* Navy
* Costa Rica
* Republic of Cuba
* Empire of Brazil
* Panama
* Republic of Texas
* Army
* Navy
* United States Army enlisted
* World War I
* World War II

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Asia|

* Afghanistan
* Bahrain
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* Brunei
* Cambodia
* PR of China
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Rocket Force
* Armed Police
* India
* Army
* Air Force
* Navy
* Coast Guard
* Border Roads Organisation
* Paramilitary forces
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Iraq
* Israel
* Japan
* Jordan
* Kazakhstan
* Korea
* North
* South
* Kuwait
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* Oman
* Pakistan
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Marines
* Civil Armed Forces
* Maritime Security Agency
* Philippines
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* Singapore
* Sri Lanka
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Coast Guard
* Syria
* Tajikistan
* Thailand
* Timor-Leste
* Turkmenistan
* United Arab Emirates
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* Yemen

States with
limited recognition|

* Abkhazia
* Palestine
* South Ossetia
* Taiwan (Republic of China)

Former|

* Artsakh
* China
* Empire
* Republic (1912–1949)
* Dutch East Indies
* East Turkestan (Second Republic)
* People's Republic of Kampuchea
* Imperial Iran
* Imperial Japan
* Army
* Navy
* Korea
* Empire
* Liberation Army
* Kingdom of Laos
* Manchukuo
* Mengjiang
* Mongolian People's Republic
* Vietnam
* State
* South
* South Yemen
* Tibet
* Tuva

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Europe|

* Albania
* Armenia
* Austria
* Azerbaijan
* Belarus
* Belgium
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Home Guard
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Army
* Navy
* Gendarmerie
* Air and Space Force
* Foresters
* Germany
* Georgia
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Land Forces
* Coast Guard
* Ireland
* Italy
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Carabinieri
* Finance Guard
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* North Macedonia
* Malta
* Moldova
* Monaco
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Cossacks
* Between 1994 and 2010
* San Marino
* Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom
* Officers:
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Other:
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Vatican

States with
limited recognition|

* Kosovo
* Northern Cyprus
* Transnistria

Former|

* Albania
* Kingdom
* People's Socialist Republic
* Austria–Hungary
* Army
* Navy
* Bulgaria
* Kingdom
* People's Republic
* Independent State of Croatia
* Czechoslovakia
* German Empire
* Weimar Republic
* Nazi Germany
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* East Germany
* Kingdom of Greece
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* France
* Napoleonic Grand Army
* Hungary
* Kingdom
* People's Republic
* Italy
* Kingdom
* Social Republic
* Ottoman Empire
* Polish People's Republic
* Republika Srpska
* Romania
* Kingdom
* Socialist Republic
* Russian Empire
* White Movement
* Slovakia (First Republic)
* Soviet Union
* 1918–35
* 1935–40
* 1940–43
* 1943–55
* 1955–91
* Spain
* 2nd Republic
* State
* Yugoslavia
* Kingdom
* Socialist Federal Republic
* Federal Republic

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Oceania|

* Australia
* Fiji
* New Zealand
* Papua New Guinea
* Tonga
* Vanuatu

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Language|

| Anglophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

|

Arabophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Francophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Gendarmerie
* Officers
* Enlisted

Hispanophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Lusophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Military police
* Officers
* Enlisted

Post-Soviet states|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Commonwealth of Nations|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

European Union|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

NATO|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air Force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Comparative ranks of

* Star ranking
* WWI
* Officers
* WWII
* Officers
* Women's services
* Marine forces
* Space forces
* Gendarmeries
* UK and US

* v
* t
* e

Star officer grades

* General officer
* Flag officer
* Air officer

By star ranks|

* Six-star rank (proposed)
* Five-star rank
* Four-star rank
* Three-star rank
* Two-star rank
* One-star rank

By titles|

* Generalissimo
* Generalissimo of the Soviet Union
* Supreme Allied Commander
* Admiral of the Navy
* General of the Armies
* Generalfeldmarschall
* Field marshal
* Mareşal
* Marshal of the air force
* Marshal of the Russian Federation
* Marshal of the Soviet Union
* Mushir/Müşir
* Caudillo
* Magister militum
* Spāhbed
* Ispahsalar
* Beylerbey
* Constable of France
* Grand Domestic
* Dux bellorum
* Grand marshal
* Hetman
* Jenderal besar
* Reichsmarschall
* Sardar
* Serasker
* Strategos autokrator
* First marshal of the empire
* Dai-gensui
* Taewonsu
* Wonsu
* Yuan shuai / Da yuan shuai
* Field Marshal / Marshal of Yugoslavia
* Marshal

* v
* t
* e

Highest military ranks

*   * General officer
* Flag officer
* Air officer

Ancient|

* Amir al-umara
* Ataman
* Autokrator
* Beylerbey
* Constable of France
* Domestic of the Schools
* Dux bellorum
* Grand Domestic
* Imperator
* Ispahsalar
* Magister militum
* Megas doux
* Polemarch
* Rigsmarsk
* Sardar
* Serasker
* Shōgun
* Spahbed
* Sparapet
* Hetman

Modern|

* Admiral of the fleet
* Fleet admiral
* Aluf
* Dayuanshuai
* Dai-gensui
* First marshal of the empire
* General of the Air Force
* General of the Armies
* Generalfeldmarschall
* Generalissimo
* Soviet Union
* Generalissimo
* Marshal
* Grand admiral
* Grand marshal
* Chom Thap Thai
* Jenderal besar
* Marshal
* Mareşal
* Field marshal (Iraq)
* Marshal of Italy
* Marshal of the air force
* Marshal of the Mongolian People's Republic
* Marshal of Peru
* Marshal of Poland
* Marshal of Romania
* Marshal of the Russian Federation
* Marshal of the German Democratic Republic
* Field marshal (Uganda)
* Yugoslavia
* Field Marshal
* General (YPA)
* Marshal
* Mushir
* Reichsmarschall
* Supreme Allied Commander
* Taewonsu
* Wonsu
* Yuanshuai
* Marshal

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