'''Caporale''' è un grado militare in uso in molte forze di polizia ed organizzazioni del mondo. È il primo grado NATO '''OR-2''' od '''OR-3'''<ref name=stanag>NATO STANAG 2116 (NATO '''''stan'''dardization '''ag'''reement'' - accordo sulle norme) ''NATO Codes for Grades of Military Personnel'' (codici per i gradi del personale militare) versione 5 del 13-03-1996</ref>.

Il termine deriva dal latino medioevale ''capora'', col significato di capo o, secondo altre fonti, dal latino ''corpus'', col significato di incorporato, arruolato (in inglese il termine è affine: ''corporal''). Da quest'ultima accezione sembra derivare il compito del caporale di ''arruolatore'' di giovani per l'esercito.

Il grado compare nella ''Nuova cronica'' di Giovanni, Matteo e Filippo Villani del XIV secolo:

Intorno all'anno mille in storia della Corsica).

In Francia si considera giunto nella metà del XVI secolo dall'Italia. Da questo grado derivano principalmente sia il caporal maggiore, che il sottocaporale che, nel 1854 venne ridenominato appuntato. Il termine indica anche il fenomeno di sfruttamento di manovalanza giornaliera, il cosiddetto caporalato.

==Italia==
===Forze armate italiane===

Dopo l'abolizione della leva, la categoria dei militari di truppa è composta da volontari in periodi di ferma variabili. I distintivi di grado vengono portati in diversi formati a seconda della tenuta su cui sono apposti.

Il caporale è il primo grado dei paracadutisti (aviotruppe) resta il distintivo formato da un gallone rosso ed un filetto rosso sottopannati in azzurro. L'abbreviazione utilizzata nei documenti è "C.le", è equivalente al codice di grado NATO '''OR-2'''<ref name=stanag />.

Il grado equivalente per la Marina Militare è quello di comune di prima classe, per l'Aeronautica Militare quello di aviere scelto.

<gallery>
Image:IT-Army-OR2.svg|Distintivo per controspallina di caporale dell'Esercito Italiano
Image:IT-Army-OR2-avio.svg|Distintivo per controspallina di caporale paracadutista dell'Esercito Italiano
</gallery>

==== Il caporale scelto ====
Il '''caporale scelto''' è una qualifica dei graduati di truppa volontari a ferma prefissata ad un anno (VFP1).

Inizialmente, con la riforma dell'esercito che introduceva i VFB (volontari a ferma breve), questi venivano promossi da caporale direttamente a caporale maggiore e indossavano gradi di colore blu. 

La normativa attuale<ref></ref> ha introdotto i volontari a ferma prefissata ad un anno (VFP1) e i volontari in ferma prefissata a 4 anni (VFP4). Ai caporali VFP1, dopo almeno sei mesi di servizio svolto fornendo garanzie di sicurezza ed affidabilità, può essere attribuita dal Comandante di Corpo la qualifica funzionale di caporale scelto<ref></ref>, mentre i caporali VFP4 vengono promossi direttamente a caporale maggiore.
L'abbreviazione utilizzata nei documenti è "C.le Sc.", è equivalente al codice di grado NATO '''OR-3'''<ref name=stanag />.

'''Corporal''' is a rank in use in some form by most militaries, police forces or other uniformed organizations around the world. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4.  The word is derived from the Italian phrase ''capo corporale'', meaning "head of a body (of soldiers)".<ref>corporal. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/corporal (accessed: April 18, 2008).</ref>

==Argentina==

All three branches of the Argentine Armed Forces use two or three ranks of Corporal, or ''cabo''. Corporals in the Argentine military are considered ''suboficiales subalternos'' (subaltern sub-officers/lower non-commissioned officers), superior only to all ranks of Volunteers (enlisted members of the Army and Air Force) and Seamen (enlisted members of the Navy).

In the Argentine Army there are two ranks of Corporal, from junior to senior: ''Cabo'' (Corporal) and ''Cabo Primero'' (First Corporal).

On the other hand, the Air Force has the same number of Corporal ranks as the Navy, and keeps the same titles, with the exception of ''Cabo'' (Corporal) instead of the Navy's ''Cabo Segundo'' (Corporal Second Class).

The rank is also used by the Argentine Federal Police, which use the rank in the same manner as the Army, as well as the Argentine Naval Prefecture.

==Australia==
<!-- Unsourced image removed: 75px|right|Australian Army Corporal's arm badge -->
'''Corporal''' is the second lowest of the non-commissioned officer ranks in the Bombardier and Lance-Bombardier respectively. A Corporal is frequently referred to as 'seco' (abbv. of Section Commander) by all ranks in everyday speech but never in written correspondence.

Corporal is also a rank of the Royal Australian Air Force, being equal to both the Australian Army and Royal Air Force rank of Corporal. There is no RAAF equivalent to the Army rank of Lance-Corporal. The rank of "Cadet Corporal" is also used within the Australian Air Force Cadets and Australian Army Cadets

==Belgium==
All branches of the Belgian Armed Forces, except the Naval Component, use three ranks of Corporal: '''Corporal''' (, ), '''Master Corporal''' (, ) and '''1st Master Corporal''' (, ). Corporal is equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-3, whereas Master Corporal and 1st Master Corporal are equivalent to OR-4. The rank immediately below Corporal is 1st Private and the rank directly above 1st Master Corporal is Sergeant.

The equivalent of these ranks in the Naval Component are Quartermaster, Chief Quartermaster and 1st Chief Quartermaster.

==Brazil==
'''Corporal''' (in Portuguese ''cabo'') is the second lowest officer rank in the three military. The first lowest is ''soldado'' (soldier) and the third is ''terceiro-sargento'' (third sergeant).

==Canada==
75px|right|Canadian Corporal's shoulder board
'''Corporal''' ('''Cpl''') is an Army and Air Force Naval equivalent is Private and its Naval equivalent Able Seaman, and junior to junior non-commissioned officers, and one of the French the rank is ''caporal (cpl)''.

The rank insignia of a Corporal is a 2-bar chevron, point down, worn in gold thread on both upper sleeves of the Service Dress jacket; in tan (Army) or dark blue (Air Force) thread on CADPAT slip-ons for Operational Dress; in old gold thread on blue slip-ons on other Air Force uniforms; and in gold metal and green enamel miniature pins on the collars of the Army dress shirt and outerwear coats. On Army ceremonial uniforms, it is usually rendered in gold braid (black for rifle regiments), on either both sleeves, or just the right, depending on unit custom.

<!-- Unsourced image removed: 75px|right|Canadian Corporal's arm badge -->
Corporal is the first non-commissioned officer rank, and the lowest rank officially empowered to issue a lawful command. Corporals can lead troops if they have the formal qualifications to be promoted to Master Corporal but have not been promoted yet. However, the rank of Corporal was severally downgraded after Unification, along with the attendant responsibilities. A Corporal in the Canadian Army in 1967 had the same duties and responsibilities that a Sergeant has today.

Another effect of Unification was to delete the appointments of Commonwealth militaries.

Corporal is deemed to be the substantive rank of the members carrying the appointment of Master Corporal. On pay documents, Corporal was formerly listed as "Cpl (A)" and Master Corporal as "Cpl (B)".

Privates in the Canadian Forces are considered to be apprentices in their trades, and Corporals are journeymen. To become a Corporal one must have served four years as a private, and have achieved Qualification Level 5 trades training, or two years in the reserves and completed their DP 2A course.

The rank of corporal in artillery units follows the British convention and is styled Bombardier (Bdr) — thus a Master Corporal is a Master Bombardier (MBdr).

In rifle regiments, a distinction was historically drawn between a Corporal and an Acting Corporal; The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada had a special insignia to distinguish between the two.

==Denmark==
<!-- Deleted image removed: 30px|right|Danish army corporal insignia. -->
In the Danish military the rank of corporal (''Korporal'' in Danish) is the lowest rank of the NCO group. An NCO in, the Danish military, is a sergeant, meaning that all coporals are sergeants in the Danish military. Professional (non-conscripted) soldiers may sometimes get the rank of corporal, on a temporary basis, in order to get better quarters.
The rank of corporal is generally being phased out in the Danish Army, but is not an uncommon sight in the Home Guard.

==Finland==
70px|right|Finnish ''alikersantti'', collar insignia.
70px|right|Finnish ''alikersantti'', shoulder insignia.
'''''Alikersantti''''' (literally translated as "Sub-Sergeant"), carrying two-chevron rank insignia, is the lowest NCO rank and it is the equivalent to Corporal elsewhere. An ''alikersantti'' is usually the leader of a group that consists of 4–7 men. NCO aspirants are promoted to the rank of '''''Alikersantti''''' after they have gone through four months of group leader training following the 2-month basic training common for all conscripts. Around 20% of conscripts carry eventually the rank of ''alikersantti''. The next rank is ''kersantti'' (Sergeant); minority of conscript NCO's reach this higher appointment before being transferred into the reserve.

'''''Korpraali''''' (literally translated as "Corporal"), carrying one-chevron rank insignia, is the equivalent to Private. Korpraali is only an appointment without a leader's training, responsibilities and benefits.

==France==
There are three ranks of corporal (''NCO ranks, but enlisted ones. The corporals are called "ranked" (''gradés'').
* "Corporal" (''caporal'')  is a NATO OR-3 level rank. The insignia is two chevrons of wool (vs. the two gold chevrons of a ''sergent'').
* "Staff Corporal" (''caporal-chef'') is OR-4. The insignia is two chevrons of wool plus a gold chevron
* "First Class Staff Corporal" (''caporal-chef de première classe'') is intermediate between OR-4 and OR-5. The insigia is one gold chevron and two gold chevrons.
In the regiments of cavalry traditions, the ''caporaux'' are called ''brigadiers''.

==Germany==
60px|right|German Army Corporal's (Oberstabsgefreiter) shoulder board
The German military had no direct equivalent to a corporal in either the Commonwealth or US militaries, in terms of duties and responsibilities. Some sources identify '''''Unteroffizier''''' as the traditional German equivalent to Corporal, and this grade has existed as a military rank since at least the 18th century. Other sources identify the lower rank of ''Gefreiter'' as being equivalent to a Corporal of other armies, though in the German military this rank conferred a higher rate of pay without any of the duties and responsibilities granted Corporals in other armies. This and the rank of ''Oberstabsgefreiter'' (highest rank of Privates) are today classified by NATO as OR-4 ranks, with ''Unteroffizier'' (lowest NCO-rank) being classified as OR-5. Given the vastly different status of the rank of Corporal in the British (section commander) and American (section second-in-command) armies, identifying equivalents in the German military is largely fruitless, though the American rank system corresponds more accurately to the overall German
NCO rank system.
For Example:
Sergeant (E-5) = Unteroffizier,
Staff SGT (E-6)= Stabsunteroffizier,
SGT 1stClass(E-7)= Feldwebel,
Master SGT (E-8)= Oberfeldwebel,
First SGT (E-8) = Hauptfeldwebel,
SGT Major (E-9) = Stabsfeldwebel

SS equivalent to ''Unteroffizier'' was '''''Unterscharführer'''''.

==India and Pakistan==
The equivalent to Corporal in the British Indian Army was '''Naik''' in all units. These ranks are still used in the Indian Army and Pakistan Army.

==Iran==
'''Corporal''' (in Persian سرجوخه ''Sarjukhe'') is one of the lower ranks of the Iranian army.
A ''Sarjukhe'' is usually responsible for 4 to 5 soldiers.
See also: Iran's Army Ranks Insignia.

==Ireland==
60px|right|Irish Army Cpl's subdued rank slider
'''Corporal''' ('''Cpl''') (''Ceannaire'' in Irish) is the lowest rank of non-commissioned officer within the Air Corps. The Naval equivalent is Leading Seaman (LS).

The Army rank insignia consists of two winged chevrons (or "stripes"). The Dress Uniform being red chevrons with a yellow border. The main role of an infantry Corporal is to either command a section as the section commander or to command the Fire Support Group (FSG) of a section as the 2I/C. Another role is that of training NCO of a section, as all Corporals must be qualified instructors. In the Artillery Corps, the Corporal is normally assigned to a gun detachment as a Layer, or a Detachment Commander. Artillery corporals can also find themselves in charge of the battery signals section. 