Standard Lemma guide

cadre

noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈkɑː.də/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈkɑː.dɹə/
  • US: /ˈkɑ.dɹeɪ/
  • US: /ˈkæd.ɹeɪ/
  • US: /ˈkɑ.dɹə/
  • US: /ˈkæd.ɹi/
  • US: /ˈkɑ.dɹi/
  • US: /ˈkɑ.dɚ/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K AE1 D R IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A frame or framework.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The framework or skeleton upon which a new regiment is to be formed; the officers of a regiment forming the staff.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: government, military, politics, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The core of a managing group, or a member of such a group.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A small group of people specially trained for a particular purpose or profession.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Synonym of RAII.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: RAII

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

a nucleus of military personnel capable of expansion

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: core, nucleus, core group

7

noun

Meaning 7

a small unit serving as part of or as the nucleus of a larger political movement

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cell

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: political unit, political entity

Narrower terms: sleeper cell, terrorist cell, radical cell

History

Etymology

Borrowed from French cadre, from Italian quadro (“framed painting, square”), from Latin quadrum, from quattuor (“four”).

Across languages

Translations

50 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: структу́ра (struktúra) — frame or framework
  • Bulgarian: ра́мка (rámka) — frame or framework
  • Chinese Mandarin: 骨骼 (gǔgé) — frame or framework
  • Czech: rámec — frame or framework
  • Czech: rám — frame or framework
  • Dutch: kader — frame or framework
  • Esperanto: kadro — frame or framework
  • Finnish: kehys — frame or framework
  • French: cadre — frame or framework
  • Ido: kadro — frame or framework
  • Persian: کادر (kâdr) — frame or framework
  • Portuguese: armação — frame or framework
  • Russian: структу́ра (struktúra) — frame or framework
  • Russian: ра́мка (rámka) — frame or framework
  • Russian: карка́с (karkás) — frame or framework
  • Spanish: armazón — frame or framework
  • Spanish: entramado — frame or framework
  • Afrikaans: kader — military: skeleton upon which regiment is formed; its officers
  • Chinese Mandarin: 幹部 /干部 (gànbù) — military: skeleton upon which regiment is formed; its officers
  • Finnish: esikunta — military: skeleton upon which regiment is formed; its officers
  • French: cadres — military: skeleton upon which regiment is formed; its officers
  • German: Kader — military: skeleton upon which regiment is formed; its officers
  • Ido: kadro — military: skeleton upon which regiment is formed; its officers
  • Indonesian: kader — military: skeleton upon which regiment is formed; its officers
  • Norwegian: kader — military: skeleton upon which regiment is formed; its officers
  • Polish: kadra — military: skeleton upon which regiment is formed; its officers
  • Russian: ка́дры (kádry) — military: skeleton upon which regiment is formed; its officers
  • Spanish: cuadro — military: skeleton upon which regiment is formed; its officers
  • Spanish: cuadrilla — military: skeleton upon which regiment is formed; its officers
  • Swedish: kader — military: skeleton upon which regiment is formed; its officers
  • Ukrainian: ка́дрові війська́ (kádrovi vijsʹká) — military: skeleton upon which regiment is formed; its officers
  • Ukrainian: кадр (kadr) — military: skeleton upon which regiment is formed; its officers
  • Ukrainian: кадрови́к (kadrovýk) — military: skeleton upon which regiment is formed; its officers
  • Afrikaans: kader — chiefly in communism: core of managing group
  • Chinese Mandarin: 幹部 /干部 (gànbù) — chiefly in communism: core of managing group
  • Czech: kádr — chiefly in communism: core of managing group
  • Dutch: kader — chiefly in communism: core of managing group
  • Finnish: ydinjoukko — chiefly in communism: core of managing group
  • Finnish: kaaderi — chiefly in communism: core of managing group
  • German: Kader — chiefly in communism: core of managing group
  • Hungarian: káder — chiefly in communism: core of managing group
  • Indonesian: kader — chiefly in communism: core of managing group
  • Japanese: 幹部 (kanbu) — chiefly in communism: core of managing group
  • Norwegian: kader — chiefly in communism: core of managing group
  • Portuguese: quadro — chiefly in communism: core of managing group
  • Russian: руководя́щие ка́дры (rukovodjáščije kádry) — chiefly in communism: core of managing group
  • Spanish: cuadro — chiefly in communism: core of managing group
  • Spanish: cuadrilla — chiefly in communism: core of managing group
  • Swedish: kader — chiefly in communism: core of managing group
  • Vietnamese: cán bộ — chiefly in communism: core of managing group