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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The city of Uvalde on Tuesday released an additional collection of videos and investigative materials showing law enforcement officers' flawed response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in May 2022, when a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers. Tony Plohetski, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024 An officer pointed a gun at the second man and ordered him to lie on the ground on his stomach with his hands behind his back, body camera footage showed. Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
Verb
One of the few people who survived the shooting was Childs' 15-year-old brother, who officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the front porch of the family's house in the 3500 block of Adams Street. Noe Padilla, The Indianapolis Star, 25 Oct. 2024 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 See all Example Sentences for officer 

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 6 Dec. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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