sergeant

[ sahr-juhnt ]

noun

1. a noncommissioned army officer of a rank above that of corporal.
2. U.S. Air Force. any noncommissioned officer above the rank of airman first class.
3. a police officer ranking immediately below a captain or a lieutenant in the U.S. and immediately below an inspector in Britain.
4. a title of a particular office or function at the court of a monarch (often used in combination):

   sergeant of the larder; sergeant-caterer.

5. sergeant at arms.
6. Also called sergeant at law. British. (formerly) a member of a superior order of barristers.
7. sergeantfish.
8. (initial capital letter) a surface-to-surface, single-stage, U.S. ballistic missile.
9. a tenant by military service, below the rank of knight.

sergeant

/ ˈsɑːdʒənsɪ; ˈsɑːdʒənt /

noun

1. a noncommissioned officer in certain armed forces, usually ranking above a corporal
2. 1. (in Britain) a police officer ranking between constable and inspector
   2. (in the US) a police officer ranking below a captain
3. See sergeant at arms
4. a court or municipal officer who has ceremonial duties
5. (formerly) a tenant by military service, not of knightly rank
6. See serjeant at law

Derived Forms

• sergeancy, noun

Other Words From

• ser·gean·cy [sahr, -j, uh, n-see], sergeant·ship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sergeant¹

1150–1200; Middle English sergant, serjant, serjaunt < Old French sergent < Latin servient- (stem of serviēns ), present participle of servīre. See serve, -ent

Word History and Origins

Origin of sergeant¹

C12: from Old French sergent, from Latin serviēns, literally: serving, from servīre to serve

Example Sentences

The city is fighting the case against Colomey, and according to court documents, it hired experts to evaluate the former sergeant to determine whether his accusations were fueled by testosterone injections he acknowledged taking or by depression brought on by the stresses of his position.

From Los Angeles Times

Now it bears his name – Sergeant D. Northey, died 24 April 1951, age 23.

From BBC

Sergeant Northey, along with three others, are the first unknown British soldiers killed in the Korean War to be successfully identified, and Michael is attending a ceremony, along with the other families, to rename their graves.

From BBC

Nicola went through their burial reports, and found just one man had been buried wearing sergeant stripes from the Gloucester Regiment, as well as one major.

From BBC

After trawling the national archives and cross referencing eye-witness accounts, family letters and war office reports, Ms Nash was able to identify these men as Sergeant Northey and Major Patrick Angier.

From BBC

Related Words

• agent
• informer
• police officer
• private eye
• private investigator
• prosecutor
• reporter
• sleuth
• spy