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first officer

American  
first officer British  

noun

  1. another name for first mate

  2. the member of an aircraft crew who is second in command to the captain

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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At that point, Jameson comes past Marseille out the door away from the first officer, who tells her to “put him in.”

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 20, 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

When the three pilots all met that evening at Kimpo for their preflight preparation, the first officer and the engineer would have bowed to the captain.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

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