sergeant major
Americannoun
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U.S. Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps. a noncommissioned officer serving as chief administrative assistant in a unit headquarters.
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U.S. Marine Corps. a noncommissioned officer ranking above a first sergeant.
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a small damselfish, Abudefduf saxatilis, inhabiting warm Atlantic waters, having vertical black stripes on each side.
noun
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a noncommissioned officer of the highest rank or having specific administrative tasks in branches of the armed forces of various countries
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a large damselfish, Abudefduf saxatilis, having a bluish-grey body marked with black stripes
Etymology
Origin of sergeant major
First recorded in 1565–75
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For example, there is George Williams, a decorated sergeant major with the Kings African Rifles.
From BBC • Nov. 7, 2025
He spent 24 years in the Army National Guard, rising to the unlisted rank of sergeant major.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2024
Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota also intervened on his behalf along with the service’s top noncommissioned officer, the sergeant major of the Army.
From Seattle Times • May 16, 2024
Major Black has been sergeant major of the Marine Corps since 2019.
From Washington Times • Jul. 7, 2023
Behind the sergeant major, across the hall, impossibly: flames.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
