sergeant

noun

ser·​geant ˈsär-jənt How to pronounce sergeant (audio)
1
2
obsolete : an officer who enforces the judgments of a court or the commands of one in authority
3
: a noncommissioned officer ranking in the army and marine corps above a corporal and below a staff sergeant
4
: an officer in a police force ranking in the U.S. just below captain or sometimes lieutenant and in England just below inspector

Examples of sergeant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web An Overland Park police sergeant responded and saw the three women run from the store and get into a car. Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2024 During testimony, Proctor also acknowledged having undisclosed personal and professional ties to Albert, the former Boston sergeant who owned the home where O’Keefe was found. Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 30 June 2024 It’s comprised of one lieutenant, three sergeants and 22 officers trained in crisis intervention with behavioral health specialists to respond to people facing mental health crises throughout the city. Nushrat Rahman and Laura Herberg, Detroit Free Press, 28 June 2024 After being put in the rear of a patrol car, a Fort Lauderdale police sergeant arrived. Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 28 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for sergeant 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sergeant.' 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

Middle English sergeaunt, seriaunt, sergaunt, sargeaunt "servant, attendant, foot soldier, officer of a town, a court, or the royal household, holder of a sergeancy," borrowed from Anglo-French (also continental Old French sergant), going back to early Medieval Latin servient-, serviens "servant," going back to Latin, present participle of serviō, servīre "to perform duties for (a master) in the capacity of a slave, serve entry 1"

Note: The word sergeant is in effect a doublet of servant, both ultimately descending from the present participle of Latin servīre. The two words are already distinct in some manuscripts of the eleventh-century Old French Vie de saint Alexis, with sergant referring to a trusted servant of a noble household, servant simply to one serving God. The usual pronunciation of English sergeant exemplifies the late Middle English change of /ɛr/ to /ar/ before a consonant, which is not reflected in the standard spelling.

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sergeant was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near sergeant

Cite this Entry

“Sergeant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sergeant. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

sergeant

noun
ser·​geant ˈsär-jənt How to pronounce sergeant (audio)
1
: a military noncommissioned officer with any of the ranks above corporal in the army or the marines or above airman first class in the air force
especially : an enlisted person with the rank just below that of staff sergeant
2
: a police officer ranking in the U.S. just below captain or sometimes lieutenant
Etymology

Middle English sergeant "sergeant, attendant, servant," from early French sergent, serjant (same meaning), from Latin servient-, serviens, a form of the verb servire "to serve"

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!