Editing Colonel (section)

{{short description|Military rank}}
{{about|the military rank in Anglophone countries|the equivalent rank in Slavophone armed forces|Colonel (Eastern Europe)|the equivalent rank in Austria, Switzerland and Germany|Oberst{{!}}''Oberst''|other uses}}
{{Military ranks | state=expanded}}

'''Colonel''' ({{IPAc-en|'|k|ɝ|n|ə|l|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-colonel.wav}} {{respell|KUR|nəl}}; abbreviated as '''Col.''', '''Col''', or '''COL''') is a senior military [[Officer (armed forces)|officer]] rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and [[paramilitary]] organizations.

In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of a [[regiment]] in an army. Modern usage varies greatly, and in some cases, the term is used as an [[Colonel (title)|honorific title]] that may have no direct relationship to military. In some smaller military forces, such as those of [[Monaco]] or the [[Holy See|Vatican]], colonel is the highest [[Military rank|rank]].

Equivalent naval ranks may be called [[Captain (naval)|captain]] or [[ship-of-the-line captain]]. In the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]]'s air force ranking system, the equivalent rank is [[group captain]].