brigadier general
military unitChart depicting the average size of army operational units and the ranks of their corresponding commanding officers.
brigadier general, military rank just above that of colonel. In both the British and U.S. armies of World War I, a brigadier general commanded a brigade. When the British abolished the brigade, they discontinued the rank of brigadier general but revived it as plain brigadier in 1928. In the U.S. and French military services, the brigadier general is the lowest-ranking general officer.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Michael Ray.
Citation Information
Article Title:
brigadier general
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
12 October 2023
Access Date:
November 13, 2026