What does brevetted mean?
"Brevetted" is the past tense of the verb "brevet," meaning to advance someone — historically a military officer — to a higher rank by temporary or honorary commission rather than by permanent appointment. The practice flourished above all in the nineteenth-century United States Army, where an officer might be brevetted colonel for distinguished conduct in battle while continuing to hold, and be paid at, his substantive lower rank. The word carries a formal, historical flavor and appears most often in military histories, biographies, and official records; outside that context it occasionally describes honorary academic appointments in Britain. Because brevet promotion conferred title without full authority or pay, the term often connotes recognition earned through merit or battlefield distinction. Related forms include the noun "brevet" itself, denoting both the commission and the rank so conferred.
verbPast tense and past participle of "brevet": to promote a military officer in rank by temporary commission, without the corresponding pay or permanent status of that rank.
- Promoted to a military rank by temporary commission, typically without the corresponding pay or permanent authority of that rank.
- (By extension, chiefly British) Appointed or certified to a position, especially an academic post such as university lecturer, without a permanent vacancy in it.
"He was brevetted major for gallantry at Gettysburg."
"For his conspicuous bravery during the assault, Lieutenant Hayes was brevetted captain before he turned twenty-five."
"The young scholar was brevetted to a readership after only three years on the faculty."
In the 19th-century US Army, you could be a full colonel on paper but still paid as a lieutenant — thanks to the odd institution of brevet rank.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of brevetted
"Brevet" entered English from French "brevet," meaning a written warrant or short official document, ultimately derived from the Latin "brevis," meaning short — the same root behind "brief," "brevity," and "abbreviate." The military sense arose because the promotion was conveyed by such a short warrant. The verb took its standard past form "brevetted" under the influence of British spelling conventions, though "breveted" is also common in American sources.
Related word forms
How brevetted is actually used
Formal and largely historical; most common today in discussions of nineteenth-century military history, particularly the American Civil War. The spelling "breveted" is also accepted, especially in American usage.
Easily confused with brevetted
"Briefed" means given a summary of instructions or information, while "brevetted" means promoted to a temporary military rank.