brigade
n. · v.-
1 military unit (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Militarya large group of soldiers that is part of an army.
a tactical military formation typically consisting of three to six battalions and its supporting elements.
ExampleThe general ordered the infantry brigade to move toward the border.
ExampleThe armored brigade was deployed to the eastern front to reinforce the existing defensive positions against the anticipated offensive.
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2 organized group (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea group of people organized for a specific job or goal.
an organized body of people dedicated to a particular purpose or task.
ExampleThe local fire brigade arrived quickly to put out the forest fire.
ExampleA volunteer brigade spent the weekend clearing debris from the park after the heavy storm.
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3 disapproving group (n.) C1 Advanced Informala group of people who share the same strong opinion, often used when you disagree with them.
a group of people sharing a specific characteristic or set of views, often used with a derogatory or dismissive tone.
ExampleThe anti-technology brigade is always complaining about new gadgets.
ExampleThe 'back-to-basics' brigade frequently criticizes modern educational methods without considering the benefits of digital literacy.
Teacher's tipThis sense is often used with a specific adjective to mock a group, such as 'the PC brigade' or 'the exercise brigade'.
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4 online harassment (v.) C1 Advanced Slang Computingto join a group to attack or harass someone online.
to engage in coordinated online harassment or to manipulate voting systems on social media platforms.
ExampleThe forum was brigaded by hundreds of angry users after the controversial post.
ExampleModerators struggled to manage the thread after it was brigaded by an antagonistic community from another platform.
UsageOften used in the passive voice.
Borrowed from French brigade.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated June 20, 2026