executive officer

American  

noun

1. the officer second in command of a military or naval organization.

2. an officer charged with executive duties, as in a corporation.

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executive officer British  

noun

1.  XO.  the second-in-command of any of certain military units

2. a specialist seaman officer, responsible under the captain for the routine efficient running of the ship in the US, British (formerly), and certain other navies

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Etymology

Origin of executive officer

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

executive officer

Zak Brown, chief executive officer of McLaren Racing, said: "Lando's journey with the team is a fantastic example of our commitment to identifying, developing and supporting world-class talent, and his achievements speak for themselves."

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

The abrupt departure of L3Harris’s LHX -0.37%decrease; down pointing triangle chief executive officer has landed the defense company’s shares in the discount bin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Steven Cliff, CARB’s executive officer, said in a 29-page response to the environmental groups that the agency is committed to “further study of emissions from dams and reservoirs.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

"I can't think of a cooler setting when you're looking at the Capitol in the background," said Zak Brown, chief executive officer of McLaren Racing.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Then IBM acquired a new chief executive officer who changed things drastically: IBM now has a more Microsoft-like organization, and I’m told that IBM’s innovativeness has improved as a result.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• administrator
• chief
• executive
• head
• leader
• organizer
• player
• principal
• producer
• supervisor