first officer
Americannoun
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another name for first mate
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the member of an aircraft crew who is second in command to the captain
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.
The first officer, 37 years old, was certified to fly the jet last year and had over 2,600 flying hours as of last month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
"We're a couple of decades behind, but at least we're trying to do things now," said Alden Campbell, a first officer with the Royal Canadian Air Force.
From BBC ● May 9, 2026
The captain and his first officer were taken into police custody in early October before returning to sea.
From Barron's ● Feb. 23, 2026
She knelt in front of the first officer she saw, told him she’d fled the colectivos, and pleaded for a chance to seek asylum.
From Slate ● Jan. 15, 2026
At 1:42:19, the first officer says, “Let’s make a missed approach.”
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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