officer

1 of 2

noun

of·​fi·​cer ˈä-fə-sər How to pronounce officer (audio)
ˈȯ-
1
a
obsolete : agent
b
: one charged with police duties
2
: one who holds an office of trust, authority, or command
the officers of the bank
chief executive officer
3
a
: one who holds a position of authority or command in the armed forces
specifically : commissioned officer
b
: the master or any of the mates of a merchant or passenger ship

officer

2 of 2

verb

officered; officering; officers

transitive verb

1
: to furnish with officers
2
: to command or direct as an officer

Examples of officer in a Sentence

Noun if you are ever lost, find the nearest officer and ask for help an officer of the court
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The city's police chief Thursday praised the community's support of both police and the family of a man killed Friday by an officer. Doug Thompson, arkansasonline.com, 8 Mar. 2024 Uvalde report Families of the victims of the May 2022 school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, are furious after an independent investigator tasked with probing the police response cleared all local officers of wrongdoing. Aj Willingham, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 The defendant wore a red jail uniform — reserved for inmates who are high profile and are separated from other inmates in a safety cell, according to a corrections officer at Thursday’s hearing. Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 Hundreds of fellow law enforcement officers and community members, family and friends filed below the photos, past Allen’s casket Thursday afternoon into the evening at the Community of Christ church campus in Independence. Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 8 Mar. 2024 One of the two MCC officers shot the suspect and he was declared dead at the scene, Trent said. The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 Richard Cruz, 32, and Jaime Pinilla Gomez, 25, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, were both charged with one count of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said in a news release. USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 From January 2022 to November 2023, 10 officers quit the department while Forest Hill police were only able to add three new officers, according to city records. James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Feb. 2024 The department had about 1,410 officers at the time. Olivia Diaz, Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2024
Verb
The settlement also includes police reforms in Greensboro and the surrounding areas including revisions to Use of Force policies and officer mental health training. Dateline Nbc, NBC News, 8 Aug. 2022 Dash belonged to officer Jeff Schank, McCubbin said. Ana Alvarez Brinez, The Courier-Journal, 10 Mar. 2022 Their behavior — like moving quickly or not listening to officer commands — could make officers fearful. Paighten Harkins, The Salt Lake Tribune, 29 Dec. 2021 The Southern Methodist University Police Department has given a meritorious conduct award to officer Shara Watson who assisted a man who had been struck by a vehicle on Central Expressway in Richardson. Teri Webster, Dallas News, 28 June 2021 What happened when Jane Doe came forward to police Jane Doe came forward to Milwaukee police in July 2019 and reported to officer Zachary Thoms that Haywood had drugged and raped her five years earlier and recorded it. Ashley Luthern, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 6 Oct. 2020 The county officers on scene were Deputy Sheriff’s Hammond and Lestock of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Uniform Services Division. Paula Wethington, Detroit Free Press, 26 May 2020 Police have identified the man who officers shot and killed outside ProHealth Waukesha Memorial Hospital on April 15 as Randy S. Ashland, 58. Elliot Hughes, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2020 The incident highlights the challenges that officers face when responding to drag racing in the city with an understaffed police department. Cassandra Jaramillo, Dallas News, 9 Mar. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'officer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "servant, agent, holder of a civil or ecclesiastical post," borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin officiārius, from Latin officium "duty, office" + -ārius -er entry 2

Verb

derivative of officer entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of officer was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near officer

Cite this Entry

“Officer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/officer. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

officer

noun
of·​fi·​cer
ˈäf-ə-sər,
ˈȯf-
1
: a person given the responsibility of enforcing the law
a police officer
2
: a person who holds an office
an officer of the company
3
: a person who holds a commission in the armed forces

Legal Definition

officer

noun
of·​fic·​er
1
: one charged with administering or enforcing the law
a police officer
2
: one who holds an office of trust, authority, or command
the directors, officers, employees, and shareholders of a corporation
3
: one who holds a position of authority or command in the armed forces

More from Merriam-Webster on officer

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