warrant officer

American  

noun

1. (in the U.S. Armed Forces) an officer of one of four grades ranking above enlisted personnel and below commissioned officers.

2. a similar officer in other countries.

---

warrant officer British  

noun

1. an officer in certain armed services who holds a rank between those of commissioned and noncommissioned officers. In the British army, the rank has two classes See regimental sergeant major company sergeant major

---

Etymology

Origin of warrant officer

First recorded in 1685–95

Compare meaning

How does warrant-officer compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• warrant officer vs. commissioned officer

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

warrant officer

Navy warrant officer who served for decades, including in war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Austins told the local news station, adding that in his final days he struggled with PTSD.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

Instead, the only paper trail that exists of the incident is a minor sanction record- which simply cites "inappropriate behaviour unbecoming of a warrant officer".

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2025

"Leopard tanks are third-generation tanks. Their mobility on diverse terrain is better compared to Russian tanks," said chief warrant officer Lukasz Setny, a senior Leopard instructor.

From Reuters ● Jan. 31, 2023

He left the Army in 2000 as a chief warrant officer.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 9, 2022

The warrant officer in charge of field exercises is the commandant, an overzealous schoolmaster named Bastian with an expansive walk and a round belly and a coat quivering with war medals.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

Related Words

• shooter