Angkatan

Angkatan is an Indonesian term with several related meanings. In everyday usage it most often denotes a batch, generation, or cohort of people who share a particular time frame or experience, such as students entering or graduating from an institution. For example, angkatan 2020 refers to the class of 2020. The term is widely used in schools, universities, and training programs to identify a group by the year of entry or graduation.

In a military context, angkatan is used in the names of service branches within the Indonesian armed forces: Angkatan Darat (the Army), Angkatan Laut (the Navy), and Angkatan Udara (the Air Force). Here it conveys the organized forces of a branch or the nation’s military services. When used in these proper names, the word is typically capitalized.

Other uses are more general, such as referring to a broader generation or era within a policy, movement, or historical discussion. The term is common in formal writing to indicate a particular cohort within a larger timeline.

Etymology: The word originates from the verb angkat (to lift or raise) with the suffix -an, forming a noun that denotes a group formed for a task, period, or purpose. The sense of collective belonging tied to a specific time or organization remains central to its usage.