A cadre is a small group of specially trained people who form the core of a larger organization, especially in the military or politics. They often train or lead others.
From French 'cadre' meaning 'frame,' from Italian 'quadro' meaning 'square' or 'frame,' from Latin 'quadrum.' The idea shifted from a physical frame to the 'framework' of trained people who shape an organization. Political movements in the 19th and 20th centuries popularized the term.
A cadre is like the skeleton of a movement—the hidden structure that keeps everything standing and coordinated. The word reminds you that organizations are built not just out of ideas, but out of people who embody and spread those ideas. It’s a favorite term in revolutionary and military contexts because it highlights that inner circle of experts.
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