commissioned officer

noun

1. a military or naval officer holding rank by commission.

commissioned officer

noun

1. a military officer holding a commission, such as Second Lieutenant in the British Army, Acting Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force, and officers of all ranks senior to these

commissioned officer

1. An officer of a country's armed services whose rank is confirmed by a government document (a commission). In many countries, including the United States, commissioned officers in the navy are those of the rank of ensign and above, and in the army and air force those of the rank of lieutenant and above.

Notes

Commissioned officers are contrasted with enlisted men and women, such as privates, corporals, and sergeants, or ordinary seamen and petty officers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of commissioned officer¹

First recorded in 1675–85

Example Sentences

They touted his war record as a non-commissioned officer in Vietnam, where he earned a purple heart.

From The Daily Beast

Ney was fortunate in that he had not to spend long years as a non-commissioned officer with no obvious future before him.

From Project Gutenberg

The sergeant's reply was: "Sire, how can a non-commissioned officer dine with a general?"

From Project Gutenberg

The non-commissioned officer was a tall Kentuckian, over six feet high, lank and raw-boned.

From Project Gutenberg

At one of the military stations we took on a guard of a dozen or fifteen soldiers under command of a non-commissioned officer.

From Project Gutenberg

But in the modesty of the non-commissioned officer Bruce had underrated his own prominence in Indian eyes.

From Project Gutenberg