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.

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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

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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

Rather than being reported to the police the incident was recorded as "inappropriate behaviour unbecoming of a warrant officer".

From BBC • Sep. 8, 2025

A 13th was made a chief warrant officer, resulting in the group’s nickname: “The Golden 13.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 11, 2023

The Army is also creating a permanent warrant officer position for recruiting.

From Washington Times • Oct. 3, 2023

In 2019, I retired as a chief warrant officer in the Army Signal Corps.

From Washington Post • Apr. 10, 2023

The warrant officer on Yossarian’s left was unimpressed by the entire incident of the soldier in white.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

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