officer
a person who holds a position of rank or authority in the army, navy, air force, or any similar organization, especially one who holds a commission.
a member of a police department or a constable.
a person licensed to take full or partial responsibility for the operation of a merchant ship or other large civilian ship; a master or mate.
a person appointed or elected to some position of responsibility or authority in the government, a corporation, a society, etc.
(in some honorary orders) a member of any rank except the lowest.
Obsolete. an agent.
to furnish with officers.
to command or direct as an officer does.
to direct, conduct, or manage.
Origin of officer
1Other words from officer
- of·fi·ce·ri·al [aw-fuh-seer-ee-uhl, of-uh-], /ˌɔ fəˈsɪər i əl, ˌɒf ə-/, adjective
- of·fi·cer·less, adjective
- of·fi·cer·ship, of·fi·cer·hood, noun
- sub·of·fi·cer, noun
- un·der·of·fi·cer, noun
- un·of·fi·cered, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use officer in a sentence
French officials were already on edge after a series of apparently unconnected attacks, including the stabbing of police officers.
U.S. Spies See Al Qaeda Fingerprints on Paris Massacre | Shane Harris, Nancy A. Youssef | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThe young men were at one point, according to eyewitnesses, apprehended by local police officers.
Why Mexicans Are Enraged by Obama’s Big Tuesday Meeting | Ruben Navarrette Jr. | January 6, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTSimilarly, a recent NPR report covered the challenges many police departments are having recruiting officers of color.
Then we all have to do our part to engage the officers and our community, and hold everyone accountable in the process.
They included the officers who had turned their backs on the Jumbotron, but there now was only reverence in their ranks.
The Spaniards captured two schooners, having on board 22 officers and 30 men, all of whom were hanged or sent to the mines.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel MunsellIt is only just to say, that the officers exhibited a degree of courage far beyond any thing we had expected from them.
Off went the officers again, some distance to the front, and then back again to their men, and got them on a little further.
While they were doing this, he assembled the officers around him, and the meaning of our night march was explained to us.
With each division, in addition to the divisional staff, there were officers detached from the headquarters staff.
Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-Pattison
British Dictionary definitions for officer
/ (ˈɒfɪsə) /
a person in the armed services who holds a position of responsibility, authority, and duty, esp one who holds a commission
See police officer
(on a non-naval ship) any person including the captain and mate, who holds a position of authority and responsibility: radio officer; engineer officer
a person appointed or elected to a position of responsibility or authority in a government, society, etc
a government official: a customs officer
(in the Order of the British Empire) a member of the grade below commander
to furnish with officers
to act as an officer over (some section, group, organization, etc)
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
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