What does "regiment" mean?
A unit of armed troops under the command of an officer, and consisting of several smaller units.
Regiment
/ˈɹɛd͡ʒɪmənt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A unit of armed troops under the command of an officer, and consisting of several smaller units.
- Grammar: regiment is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: age group, align, allocate, allot.
- Useful contrasts: civilian, decentralize, liberate.
- Usage evidence: It was natural and perhaps human that the privileged princes of these new economic dynasties, thirsting for power, reached out for control over government itself. They created a new despotism and wrapped it in the robes of legal sanction. In its service new mercenaries sought to regiment the people, their labor, and their property.
How to use "regiment"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "regiment" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "regiment" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "regiment" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "regiment" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "regiment" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "age group" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "regiment", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A unit of armed troops under the command of an officer, and consisting of several smaller units.
"It was an old, withered man, who had served the Government in the days of the Mutiny as a native officer in a newly raised cavalry regiment."
- 2 army unit smaller than a division, which can be divided into several companies, squadrons, or batteries and often into two battalions. wordnet
- 3 Rule or governance over a person, place etc.; government, authority. archaic
"What place is there in all the world, not ſubiect to the regiment and power of this citie?"
- 4 The state or office of a ruler; rulership. obsolete
"But this it is that doth excruciate The verie ſubſtance of my vexed ſoule: To ſee our neighbours that were wont to quake And tremble at the Perſean Monarkes name, Now ſits and laughs our regiment to ſcorne, […]"
- 5 Influence or control exercised by someone or something (especially a planet). obsolete
"Nature that fram’d vs of foure Elements, Warring within our breaſts for regiment, Doth teach vs all to haue aſpyring minds:"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A place under a particular rule; a kingdom or domain. obsolete
"An auncient booke[…] That of this lands firſt conqueſt did deuize, And old diuiſion into Regiments, […]"
- 7 A regimen. obsolete
Verb
- 1 To form soldiers into a regiment. transitive
"The people are organized or regimented into bodies, and special functions are relegated to the several units."
- 2 assign to a regiment wordnet
- 3 To systematize, or put in rigid order. transitive
"The result was a tidy, law-abiding country, but one that visitors often described as regimented, sterile and dull."
- 4 subject to rigid discipline, order, and systematization wordnet
- 5 form (military personnel) into a regiment wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"It was natural and perhaps human that the privileged princes of these new economic dynasties, thirsting for power, reached out for control over government itself. They created a new despotism and wrapped it in the robes of legal sanction. In its service new mercenaries sought to regiment the people, their labor, and their property."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "regiment"?
Common synonyms include: age group, align, allocate, allot, apportion, army.
How do you use "regiment" in a sentence?
It was natural and perhaps human that the privileged princes of these new economic dynasties, thirsting for power, reached out for control over government itself. They created a new despotism and wrapped it in the robes of legal sanction. In its service new mercenaries sought to regiment the people, their labor, and their property.
How do you pronounce "regiment"?
Pronounced /ˈɹɛd͡ʒɪmənt/.
Etymology
From Middle French regement, régiment, and its source, Late Latin regimentum (“direction for government; course of medical treatment”), from Latin regō (“rule”).