staff sergeant

American  

noun

1. U.S. Air Force. a noncommissioned officer ranking below a technical sergeant and above an airman first class.

2. U.S. Army. a noncommissioned officer ranking below a sergeant first class and above a sergeant.

3. U.S. Marine Corps. a noncommissioned officer ranking below a gunnery sergeant and above a sergeant.

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staff sergeant British  

noun

1. a noncommissioned officer holding a rank between sergeant and warrant officer and employed on administrative duties

2. 1. (in the Army) a noncommissioned officer who ranks above sergeant and below sergeant first class

   2. (in the Air Force) a noncommissioned officer who ranks above airman first class and below technical sergeant

   3. (in the Marine Corps) a noncommissioned officer who ranks above sergeant and below gunnery sergeant

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Etymology

Origin of staff sergeant

First recorded in 1805–15

Example Sentences

At the same event, Glenda Tietjens was welcoming home her husband, William Tietjens, who was a staff sergeant at the time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

It was later confirmed the staff sergeant had survived.

From BBC • Jul. 9, 2025

Army — where he was a staff sergeant — and sentenced to two years in prison.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2025

Army staff sergeant and combat veteran from Texas.

From Salon • Jan. 5, 2025

He was a young fellow, younger than the lieutenant and the staff sergeant, but he was bald and his countenance made him look much older.

From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah