master sergeant
Americannoun
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Army, Air Force, Marine Corps. a noncommissioned officer ranking next to the highest noncommissioned officer.
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U.S. Air Force. a noncommissioned officer of one of the three top enlisted grades.
noun
Etymology
Origin of master sergeant
First recorded in 1930–35
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.
Ross’ dedicated focus on landscape painting has deep roots in his time spent stationed in Alaska with the United States Air Force, where he eventually rose to the rank of master sergeant.
From Salon ● May 2, 2026
The case against Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a master sergeant with the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a master sergeant in the U.S.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 24, 2026
He did reach the rank of command sergeant major near the end of his service, but he officially retired one rank below as a master sergeant.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2024
Charlie would go on to become a master sergeant.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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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.