rear admiral

noun

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of rear admiral

: 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)

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Recent Examples of rear admiral from the Web

Trump said Wednesday afternoon that Ronny Jackson, a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy who has served as a White House physician for more than a decade, is his new pick to lead the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

— emma platoff, star-telegram, "Texas A&M grad nominated by Trump via tweet to lead Veterans Affairs department | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 28 Mar. 2018
Recent speakers in the San Diego chapter’s luncheon series have included a retired rear admiral and an administrator of the Naval Academy athletic department.

— jonathan m. pitts, baltimoresun.com, "Muslim civil rights group asks Naval Academy alumni association to drop speaker," 16 Feb. 2018
Jackson, Trump’s physician, is a Navy rear admiral who was the emergency medicine doctor for a shock trauma platoon in Taqaddum, Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, according to his Navy bio.

— Time, "Donald Trump Arrives for First Physical Exam as President," 12 Jan. 2018
The physician, a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy, has served as the presidential doctor for the past three administrations.

— anna beahm, AL.com, "Fairfield city council defunds personnel, shutting down city operations," 12 Jan. 2018
The Coronado author, a retired Navy rear admiral, pulls back the curtain on his time at the presidential retreat under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

— john wilkens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Fall arts: Top 10 book events," 17 Sep. 2017
One of Christian’s coaches, Jim McNeal, is a rear admiral in the Navy in charge of logistical support at locations around the world.

— john maffei, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Military salute, football games, lasting memories at Honor Bowl," 30 Aug. 2017
That was Grace Hopper, a computer scientist and U.S. Navy rear admiral.

— marissa fessenden, Smithsonian, "These Bold Illustrations Celebrate the Incredible Contributions of Women in Science," 16 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rear admiral.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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REAR ADMIRAL Defined for English Language Learners

rear admiral

noun

Definition of rear admiral for English Language Learners

: an officer of high rank in the navy

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