Word
squad
US/ˈskwɑd/
UK/skwˈɒd/
Definitions
01military or police unit
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a small group of soldiers or police officers who work together as a team.
n. a small unit of people, typically in a military or police context, organised for a specific tactical purpose.
日本語:分隊、チーム※
“The police sent a special squad to investigate the robbery at the bank.”
“The infantry squad moved cautiously through the dense undergrowth, maintaining radio silence to avoid alerting nearby enemy patrols.”
02sports team
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Sports
n. the group of players that make up a sports team.
n. the collective group of athletes from which a team is selected for a specific match or competition.
“The manager announced the starting squad for the championship game on Saturday.”
“Despite several injuries to key players, the national squad remains the favourite to win the upcoming international tournament.”
03friend group
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal · Slang
n. a close group of friends who spend a lot of time together.
n. an informal social circle or close-knit group of friends. Often used to imply loyalty and shared identity.
“I am going to the cinema with the squad this weekend.”
“She posted a photo of her squad at the beach, captioning it with a message about their decade-long friendship.”
Teaching tip
While originally military, this sense became highly popular in social media culture to describe one's inner circle of friends.
04political group
C1 · Advanced Countable noun American English · Informal
n. a small, active group of people within a larger political party.
n. a small, cohesive faction within a legislative body or political organisation that shares specific ideological goals.
“The new members of the squad are pushing for major changes in environmental law.”
“The influence of the progressive squad within the party has grown significantly, leading to more robust debates over economic policy.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “squad” in context.
Verb
01. assemble a squad
“The manager worked tirelessly to assemble a squad capable of competing at the highest level.”
verb + noun
02. deploy a squad
“The police chief decided to deploy a squad of tactical officers to handle the hostage situation.”
verb + noun
Adjective
03. elite squad
“Only the most disciplined soldiers are selected to join this elite squad.”
adj + noun
04. formidable squad
“With three new signings, the team has become a truly formidable squad this season.”
adj + noun
Noun
05. squad of detectives
“A specialized squad of detectives was assigned to investigate the complex fraud case.”
noun + of + noun
06. squad rotation
“The coach implemented a policy of squad rotation to keep the players fresh for the finals.”
noun + noun
Preposition
07. in the squad
“There is a lot of healthy competition for places in the squad this year.”
prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“The World Cup success, which saw no Real player included in the Spanish national squad, could also well become a launching pad into the season.” “Rangers' Chermiti out for 'significant period'
McInnes insists that, despite millions spent on nine additions to his squad already this summer, they are still short of the necessary quality.” “Player to avoid: Liam Millar (£5m, midfielder)
Heisenberg: I could have picked pretty much any Hull player as one to avoid, because in all honesty we should be avoiding most of their squad.” “Matches are 4v4 affairs, with each player fielding a squad that – in a departure from similar games – shares a single health bar.” Etymology
From French escouade, from Italian squadra (“square”) (whence also French escadre). Doublet of squadra and square.
Uncertain. Compare squick (“disgust”), squalid (“dirty”) with similar initial sounds.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
02. goon squad
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/squad
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0