corps of engineers: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, Technical, Governmental
Quick answer
What does “corps of engineers” mean?
A formal organization or body of military or civil engineers.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A formal organization or body of military or civil engineers.
A permanent, organized military unit specializing in engineering, construction, and technical projects. In some contexts (e.g., US), refers specifically to a federal agency involved in public works.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, 'Corps of Engineers' typically refers to the Royal Engineers, a combat support corps of the British Army. In the US, it refers to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a federal agency with vast civil engineering responsibilities (e.g., waterway management, flood control).
Connotations
UK: Primarily military/defence. US: Strongly associated with large-scale civil engineering, infrastructure, and environmental projects, in addition to military engineering.
Frequency
Higher frequency in American English due to the prominent public and media role of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Grammar
How to Use “corps of engineers” in a Sentence
The [Nationality/Adjective] Corps of Engineers + [verb] (e.g., constructed, manages).A project led by the Corps of Engineers.To serve in the Corps of Engineers.Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in contexts of government contracts (e.g., 'Our firm secured a contract with the Corps of Engineers.').
Academic
Used in history, military studies, civil engineering, and public policy papers.
Everyday
Low frequency. Might appear in news about floods, infrastructure, or military history.
Technical
High frequency in engineering, military, and governmental documents referring to the specific organization.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “corps of engineers”
- Mispronouncing 'corps' as /kɔːrps/ (like 'corpse').
- Using a plural verb with 'corps' (e.g., 'The corps are...' is incorrect; it's 'The corps is...').
- Forgetting to capitalise when it's part of an official title.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is grammatically singular because 'corps' is singular. Example: 'The Corps of Engineers is responsible.'
In the UK, it's primarily the military Royal Engineers. In the US, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a major civilian role in public infrastructure and water management.
It comes from French, where the final consonant in 'corps' (body) is silent. The English pronunciation retained this feature.
It's rare and would be metaphorical or humorous. Standard usage refers to an official, organized body, usually state/military.
A formal organization or body of military or civil engineers.
Corps of engineers is usually formal, technical, governmental in register.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: A 'corps' (pronounced 'core') is a body of people. A 'Corps of Engineers' is a core body of technical experts.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE STATE/ARMY IS A BODY > The Corps is a specialized limb or organ of that body responsible for building and technical problem-solving.
Practice
Quiz
How is the word 'corps' in 'Corps of Engineers' correctly pronounced?