rear admiral

noun

: a commissioned officer in the navy or coast guard having either of two ranks:
a
: one who ranks above a captain

called also rear admiral (lower half)

b
: one who ranks above a rear admiral (lower half) and below a vice admiral

called also rear admiral (upper half)

Examples of rear admiral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Some say Mason Berridge, rear admiral of the First World War Bermuda Garrison, was inspired by Nathaniel Coxon, owner of the Tea Room, who created Bermuda shorts for his staff to beat the heat. Alexander-Julian Gibbson, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2024 Jackson, who served as the top White House doc under President Obama and President Trump, retired in 2019 as a one-star rear admiral and was demoted to captain in 2022. David Matthews, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2024 In the aftermath of the coup attempt, ten Kemalist colonels who had been sentenced to prison in the Sledgehammer-Ergenekon mass trials were promoted to positions as brigadier generals and rear admirals. Gonul Tol, Foreign Affairs, 27 Oct. 2016 Despite the demotion, Jackson has continued to refer to himself as a retired rear admiral, including in statements released since the Navy reclassified him as a retired captain. Alex Horton, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rear admiral 

Word History

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rear admiral was in 1589

Dictionary Entries Near rear admiral

Cite this Entry

“Rear admiral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rear%20admiral. Accessed 11 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

rear admiral

noun
: a naval commissioned officer with a rank just below that of vice admiral

More from Merriam-Webster on rear admiral

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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