noun
echelon
EHSH-uh-lon
noun
1
A level or rank within an organisation, especially one of importance or seniority.
"She quickly rose to the upper echelons of the company."
"Only the top echelon of officers knew about the mission."
2
A formation of troops, ships, or aircraft arranged in parallel diagonal rows.
"The jets flew in a tight echelon formation over the stadium."
How to Use Echelon
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA rank or level, especially in the sense of "how high up" someone or something is.
Common pairings
upper echelons
top echelon
echelon formation
Word Forms
echeloned past tense, echelons plural, echelons singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “echelon”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
She quickly rose to the upper _____ of the company.
Etymology
Borrowed from French échelon, "rung of a ladder," from échelle ("ladder"), ultimately from Latin scāla — the image is of ranks stepping up like rungs.