master sergeant

American  

noun

1. Army, Air Force, Marine Corps. a noncommissioned officer ranking next to the highest noncommissioned officer.

2. U.S. Air Force. a noncommissioned officer of one of the three top enlisted grades.

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master sergeant British  

noun

1. a senior noncommissioned officer in the US Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps and certain other military forces, ranking immediately below the most senior noncommissioned rank

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Etymology

Origin of master sergeant

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

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

And for nearly all that time, he was a model soldier, given awards for meritorious service and promoted all the way up to master sergeant in charge of training young tank crews.

From New York Times • Dec. 21, 2023

He found new relevance as an internet sensation years later, after a master sergeant in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 28, 2023

Bauer was a retired master sergeant in the Arizona Air National Guard.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 18, 2023

“Oh, no, sir,” the chaplain hastened to explain with a look of excruciating discomfort “She’s a master sergeant in the Marines.”

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller