executive officer
Americannoun
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the officer second in command of a military or naval organization.
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an officer charged with executive duties, as in a corporation.
noun
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XO. the second-in-command of any of certain military units
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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
Etymology
Origin of executive officer
First recorded in 1780–90
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.
"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
Cody Carbone is chief executive officer of the Digital Chamber, a blockchain and digital-asset trade association.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
Cadillac chief executive officer Dan Towriss made it clear last week that he had always envisaged there would be a time when Graeme Lowdon would be replaced as team principal.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Aspell, the deputy executive officer, acknowledged that the lung-irritating chemical continues to be a concern.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
She is like a cross between the chief executive officer of the world’s largest corporation and the chief executive officer of the world’s second largest corporation.
From "The Misfits" by James Howe
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
