cadre

noun

cad·re ˈka-ˌdrā

ˈkä-

-drē;

especially British ˈkä-də,

ˈkā-,

-drə

Synonyms of cadre next

: a nucleus or core group especially of trained personnel able to assume control and to train others

broadly : a group of people having some unifying relationship

a cadre of lawyers

a cadre of technicians

: a cell of indoctrinated leaders active in promoting the interests of a revolutionary party

: a member of a cadre

: frame, framework

… the current specialisms and cadres of our university curricula …—

H. M. McLuhan

Did you know?

A wise man named Huey Lewis once sang that “it’s hip to be square.” As lexicographers—a hip cadre if ever there was one—we heartily agree with this sentiment, not least because the song (as performed by Lewis and his trusted cadre of bandmates dubbed “the News”) prompts us to ponder an etymological descendent (via French and Italian) of the Latin word for square, quadrum: cadre. Squares being a logical and standard shape for frames (as of window and picture varieties), it’s easy to understand why French speakers and later English speakers adopted cadre as a word meaning “frame.” A sense of cadre referring to a metaphorical framework for something (such as a novel or curriculum) soon developed. And if you consider a group of officers in a military regiment as the framework that holds things together for the unit, you’ll understand how yet another sense of cadre, referring to a nucleus of trained personnel, arose. Military leaders and their troops are well-trained and work together as a unified team, which may explain why cadre is now sometimes used more generally to refer to any group of people who have some kind of unifying characteristic—such as a belief in the heart of rock and roll, or perhaps the power of love.

Examples of cadre in a Sentence

claims that the problem will never be solved within the existing cadre of the state bureaucracy

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

In the run-up to the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, the French house house tapped a cadre of athlete ambassadors that included sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica; U.S. soccer player Alex Morgan; and Australian swimmer Emma McKeon. —

Lily Templeton, WWD, 9 Jan. 2025 Founded in 1909, the organization annually brings together a cadre of film industry professionals including filmmakers, actors, producers, and screenwriters to select the best content of the year. —

Sam Falb, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2025 Those who have benefited most are a small cadre of billionaire friends to whom Modi has granted special access for years. —

Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2025 Country's crossover year: Beyoncé led a cadre of pop megastars who flirted with country twang this year. —

Adam Tamburin, Axios, 23 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cadre