petty officer

American  

noun

1. a noncommissioned U.S. Navy rank with three grades.

2. one of the minor officers on a merchant ship, as a boatswain or carpenter.

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petty officer British  

noun

1. a noncommissioned officer in a naval service, comparable in rank to a sergeant in an army or marine corps

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Etymology

Origin of petty officer

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

Her husband, a chief petty officer, declined to be interviewed by The Associated Press because he fears retaliation from the Navy.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 27, 2024

Mr Zhao was a petty officer working at a California naval base.

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2024

The petty officer was stationed at Port Hueneme’s naval base when he started to pass sensitive material to a Chinese official between August 2021 and May 2023, according to Justice Department officials.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 2023

In 1978, he dropped out of high school and enlisted in the Navy, where he rose to the rank of petty officer second class.

From Salon • Nov. 15, 2022

Ishmael Chambers, in the last light of day, found himself seated in the office of the lighthouse chief petty officer, a large man named Evan Powell.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson