Definition

Noun: 1. A person training to become an officer in the armed forces or police: A cadet is a student at a military, naval, air force, or police academy who is undergoing education and training to receive a commission as an officer. 2. A younger son or brother (historical): In historical contexts, particularly within aristocratic or landowning families, a cadet referred to a younger son or brother, especially one who would not inherit the primary family title or estate.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Military/Police Trainee):

  • The young cadet stood at attention during the inspection.
  • She is a cadet at the West Point military academy.
  • The police cadet is learning about criminal law and procedure.

• Noun (Historical - Younger Son):

  • As the cadet of the family, he joined the navy to seek his own fortune.
  • The title passed to the eldest son, while the cadet branch of the family received a smaller estate.

Advanced Usage

• "Cadet branch": A side branch of a family, descended from a younger son. This term is used in genealogy and history.
  • The House of Bourbon-Orléans is a cadet branch of the French royal family.

Variants and Related Words

• Cadetship (noun): The position or period of being a cadet.
  • He completed his cadetship and was commissioned as a second lieutenant.

Synonyms

• Trainee: A person undergoing training for a particular job or profession.
• Officer candidate: A person who has been selected for training to become a commissioned officer.
• Midshipman: A specific rank for a naval cadet, particularly in some countries' navies.
• Junior: A person of lower rank or standing (can be used in non-military contexts for a trainee).

Related Phrases

• Cadet corps: A voluntary youth organization, often in schools, that provides basic military-style training and discipline.
  • He joined the school's cadet corps to learn leadership skills.

Noun

1. a military trainee (as at a military academy)