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 officer, a 28-year-old man, was transported to a hospital for treatment of serious but nonfatal injuries, police said. Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2024 The school resource officer served at the high school for over a decade. Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 30 Oct. 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 See all Example Sentences for officer 

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 1 Nov. 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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