officer

[ aw-fuh-ser, of-uh- ]

noun

1. a person who holds a position of rank or authority in the army, navy, air force, or any similar organization, especially one who holds a commission.
2. a member of a police department or a constable.
3. a person licensed to take full or partial responsibility for the operation of a merchant ship or other large civilian ship; a master or mate.
4. a person appointed or elected to some position of responsibility or authority in the government, a corporation, a society, etc.
5. (in some honorary orders) a member of any rank except the lowest.
6. Obsolete. an agent.

verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with officers.
2. to command or direct as an officer does.
3. to direct, conduct, or manage.

officer

/ ˈɒfɪsə /

noun

1. a person in the armed services who holds a position of responsibility, authority, and duty, esp one who holds a commission
2. See police officer
   See police officer
3. (on a non-naval ship) any person including the captain and mate, who holds a position of authority and responsibility

   radio officer

   engineer officer

4. a person appointed or elected to a position of responsibility or authority in a government, society, etc
5. a government official

   a customs officer

6. (in the Order of the British Empire) a member of the grade below commander

verb

1. to furnish with officers
2. to act as an officer over (some section, group, organization, etc)

Other Words From

• of·fi·ce·ri·al [aw-f, uh, -, seer, -ee-, uh, l, of-, uh, -], adjective
• offi·cer·less adjective
• offi·cer·ship offi·cer·hood noun
• sub·offi·cer noun
• under·offi·cer noun
• un·offi·cered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of officer¹

1275–1325; Middle English < Anglo-French; Middle French officier < Medieval Latin officiārius, equivalent to Latin offici ( um ) office + -ārius -ary; -er ², -ier ²

Example Sentences

Interim Assistant Police Chief Frank Sousa said the group was gone when officers arrived.

From Fortune

Criminal prosecutions are intended to punish officers, to deter future criminal behavior.

From Vox

According to police reports, Gillum was found vomiting in the room too inebriated to speak with officers while another man was passed out.

From Washington Blade

The Houston Police Officers’ Union blasted the department’s decision to fire the officers, claiming that they acted justly, The New York Times notes.

From Essence.com

Cheng says that Post-Quantum Group, which was founded in 2009, once struggled to get chief information security officers and chief information officers at major banks and corporations to take the threat of quantum computers seriously.

From Fortune

“Barbarism,” said retired NYPD Officer Jim Smith on Thursday.

From The Daily Beast

In the first episode, an officer is shown video of himself shooting and killing a man.

From The Daily Beast

That officer fretting about his “stance,” we learn, is plagued by PTSD that cripples him both on the job and at home.

From The Daily Beast

Smith attended both funerals as a cop and as the husband of Police Officer Moira Smith, who died on 9/11.

From The Daily Beast

The al Qaeda-linked gunmen shot back, but only managed to injure one officer before they were taken out.

From The Daily Beast

But the cavalry officer melted imperceptibly out of her existence.

From Project Gutenberg

The engineer officer charged with preparing the line of retreat reported that the one bridge across the Elster was not sufficient.

From Project Gutenberg

That woman meant mischief, or she would never have dared to suggest that a British officer should throw in his lot with hers.

From Project Gutenberg

My orders ought to have been taken before a single unwounded Officer or man was ferried back aboard ship.

From Project Gutenberg

Malcolm reined up, and soon a British officer appeared round a bend in the road.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• agent
• chief
• civil servant
• deputy
• director
• executive
• leader
• manager
• official
• representative