What does colonelcy mean?
Colonelcy is a noun denoting the rank, office, or dignity of a colonel — that is, the state of holding commissioned rank at colonel level in an army or similarly organized force. The word appears most often in formal, historical, or biographical contexts: accounts of officers purchasing their commissions, regiments changing hands, or careers culminating in promotion to a colonelcy. It can refer both to the abstract grade of colonel and to a particular post or command held by a colonel, as in 'a colonelcy in the household cavalry'. Because modern English speakers more commonly say 'the rank of colonel', colonelcy carries a slightly antiquated, official flavor that suits military history and ceremonial writing. It derives from colonel, a title whose tangled spelling and pronunciation reflect its journey through French and Italian from a root meaning 'column', evoking the small column of soldiers once commanded by such an officer.
nounThe rank, position, or dignity of a colonel in the army or similar military organization; the state of holding commissioned rank as a colonel.
- The rank or grade of colonel in an army.
- The office, command, or regimental post held by a colonel.
"After twenty years of distinguished service, she was finally rewarded with a colonelcy."
"He purchased his colonelcy in the cavalry during the eighteenth century, as was then customary."
"Her promotion to a colonelcy capped a career spent largely overseas."
Used when referring to multiple distinct posts or instances of the rank.
"The two colonelcies were awarded to officers recommended by the field marshal."
Despite being spelled like it has three L's' worth of Latin behind it, 'colonelcy' traces back to the same Italian word that gave us 'column' — soldiers marching in columns.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of colonelcy
Colonelcy is formed from 'colonel' with the suffix '-cy', which creates nouns denoting rank or state (compare 'captaincy'). The underlying word 'colonel' entered English in the sixteenth century from French 'coronel'/'colonel', which came from Italian 'colonnello', meaning 'column of soldiers', a derivative of 'colonna' (column), ultimately from Latin 'columna'. This same Italian root gives English 'column' and 'colonnade'; the obsolete spelling 'coronel' preserves the earlier French form.
How colonelcy is actually used
Colonelcy is a formal, somewhat old-fashioned word found chiefly in military history, biographies, and official writing; everyday speech usually prefers 'the rank of colonel'. It is countable when referring to a specific post ('a colonelcy in the guards').
Easily confused with colonelcy
A colonel is the officer who holds the rank, while a colonelcy refers to the rank, post, or dignity itself rather than the person.