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correctional officer

American  
Or correction officer,

noun

  1. an officer of a jail or prison, especially a guard.


Etymology

Origin of correctional officer

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Walters, a citizen of the Comanche Nation, had never spoken to this correctional officer, and he thought a private conversation with him or any other guard was a recipe for trouble.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

During testimony last week, Tomas Rivers, a correctional officer from State Correctional Institution Huntingdon, where Mangione was first held, described conversations he had with the accused, according to Rolling Stone:

From Salon ● Dec. 11, 2025

Several years ago he married the mother of a correctional officer, and former prison staffers said he was known for writing poetry and frequently expressing gratitude for the work done by correctional officers.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 27, 2024

It was after the daily 9 p.m. head count at the California Institution for Women in Chino when she was taken out of her cell by a correctional officer she thought was her friend.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 18, 2024

I had been to this prison often enough to be familiar to many of the correctional officers, but as I entered I was met by a correctional officer I’d never seen before.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

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