flag officer


noun
  1. a naval officer above the rank of captain, such as a fleet admiral, admiral, vice-admiral, rear admiral, or commodore, who is entitled to display a flag indicating their rank.

  2. (formerly) an officer in command of a fleet, squadron, or group of ships.

Origin of flag officer

1
First recorded in 1655–65

Words Nearby flag officer

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use flag officer in a sentence

  • Cecil Haney became a flag officer in 2005 when he was promoted to rear admiral and pinned on his first star.

  • On you, every reliance is placed; and I wish I could say as much for every flag-officer afloat.

    The Two Admirals | J. Fenimore Cooper
  • "Let the flag-officer go first," added some of the students, dragging Paul to the head of the column.

    Down the Rhine | Oliver Optic
  • With the flag-officer, who had seen Christy but once or twice, he was not likely to suspect that Corny was an impostor.

    Stand By The Union | Oliver Optic
  • "The flag-officer has signalled for the Vernon to come alongside," interposed another seaman who had heard the question.

    Stand By The Union | Oliver Optic
  • In the middle of the afternoon of the next day, Mr. Flint reported to the flag-officer off Pensacola Bay.

    Stand By The Union | Oliver Optic

British Dictionary definitions for flag officer

flag officer

noun
  1. an officer in certain navies of the rank of rear admiral or above and entitled to fly its flag

  2. the head of a boat or yacht club

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