sergeant

[ sahr-juhnt ]
See synonyms for sergeant on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a noncommissioned army officer of a rank above that of corporal.

  2. U.S. Air Force. any noncommissioned officer above the rank of airman first class.

  1. a police officer ranking immediately below a captain or a lieutenant in the U.S. and immediately below an inspector in Britain.

  2. a title of a particular office or function at the court of a monarch (often used in combination): sergeant of the larder; sergeant-caterer.

  3. Also called sergeant at law .British. (formerly) a member of a superior order of barristers.

  4. (initial capital letter) a surface-to-surface, single-stage, U.S. ballistic missile.

  5. a tenant by military service, below the rank of knight.

Origin of sergeant

1
1150–1200; Middle English sergant, serjant, serjaunt<Old French sergent<Latin servient- (stem of serviēns), present participle of servīre.See serve, -ent
  • Also especially British, ser·jeant (for defs. 1-7, 9) .

Other words from sergeant

  • ser·gean·cy [sahr-juhn-see], /ˈsɑr dʒən si/, ser·geant·ship, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use sergeant in a sentence

  • As soon as the two sergeants had been called and had received the orders, Captain Foster continued his instructions.

  • The two sergeants heading the squads were now rushing the drawing of rations and ammunition.

  • The lids of the boxes were pried off with bayonets, and the Sergeants ran along the companies distributing the packages.

British Dictionary definitions for sergeant

sergeant

/ (ˈsɑːdʒənt) /


noun
  1. a noncommissioned officer in certain armed forces, usually ranking above a corporal

    • (in Britain) a police officer ranking between constable and inspector

    • (in the US) a police officer ranking below a captain

  1. a court or municipal officer who has ceremonial duties

  2. (formerly) a tenant by military service, not of knightly rank

Origin of sergeant

1
C12: from Old French sergent, from Latin serviēns, literally: serving, from servīre to serve
  • Also: serjeant

Derived forms of sergeant

  • sergeancy (ˈsɑːdʒənsɪ) or sergeantship, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012