Brevet

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /bɹəˈvɛt/

Definitions

1. A certification that indicates an honorary military rank or title assigned without a corresponding pay increase is often given for exemplary service and distinguished performance in a specific field
2. This designation serves to acknowledge one's achievements in the military while distinguishing it from a regular promotion, which typically involves a pay raise
3. A non-pay military rank granted as a mark of distinction for service ; an official document certifying completion or attainment in a specialized area

Etymology: The word "brevet" once meant nothing more than a short letter. It came into Middle English as "brevet," an official letter, from Anglo-Norman, where it was a diminutive of "bref," meaning "letter." That Anglo-Norman "bref" traces back to Latin "brevis," "short," which is also the source of the English "brief." A document was called a brevis, a short writing, and the sense of shortness passed from the paper to its diminutive form. From that root, the military and official senses developed. An official letter granting a commission or authority could be called a brevet, and the word came to be used for a warrant conferring a rank. In the military, a brevet rank is a non-pay promotion, a distinction awarded for service without a corresponding rise in salary or actual command. The second modern sense, an official certificate attesting that someone has completed training or reached a level of skill in a specialised field, grew from the same idea of a formal written authority.