a brevet in most militaries is a promotion to a higher rank without the increase in pay or full privileges. it is often given as an honor. it was a term borrowed from the british during the american revolutionary war and used in the continental army. since that time the united states congress has had several reasons for granting brevet ranks. in some of these instances the officer received the higher pay of the breveted rank. the term brevet comes from the latin words "breve" and "brevia" meaning a legal brief.