chief petty officer

American  

noun

U.S. Navy and Coast Guard.

1. a noncommissioned rank above petty officer first class and below senior petty officer. CPO, C.P.O., c.p.o.

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chief petty officer British  

noun

1.  CPO.  the senior naval rank for personnel without commissioned or warrant rank

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Etymology

Origin of chief petty officer

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chief petty officer

Her husband, a chief petty officer, declined to be interviewed by The Associated Press because he fears retaliation from the Navy.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 27, 2024

The accused is a chief petty officer fire controlman assigned to a Japan-based guided missile destroyer, the USS Higgins.

From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2024

To discuss that larger conflict and much more, I recently spoke with Malcolm Nance, a former senior chief petty officer in the U.S.

From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2022

Mr. Emerson’s hitch lasted 20 years, and he retired with the rank of master chief petty officer.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 31, 2021

A senior chief petty officer named Angel Torres remembered, “All of the sudden, this big cloud engulfs us. It wasn’t white smoke. It was like something I’d never seen before.”

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland