master sergeant

noun

1. Army, Air Force, Marine Corps.,  a noncommissioned officer ranking next to the highest noncommissioned officer.

2. U.S. Air Force.,  a noncommissioned officer of one of the three top enlisted grades.

master sergeant

noun

1. a senior noncommissioned officer in the US Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps and certain other military forces, ranking immediately below the most senior noncommissioned rank

Word History and Origins

Origin of master sergeant¹

First recorded in 1930–35