officer

noun

ˈä-fə-sər How to pronounce officer (audio)
Definition of officernext
1
as in policeman
a member of a force charged with law enforcement at the local level if you are ever lost, find the nearest officer and ask for help

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in official
a person who holds a public office an officer of the court

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of officer Last month, Ariana Grande hit back after the White House posted a TikTok promoting its crackdown on immigration, featuring various clips of ICE officers and officers from other agencies arresting people. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026 After nearly 50 years in charge, Joe Harper will step down as the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club’s chief executive officer at the end of this year. — Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2026 The expression on her face changed from concern to pure shock as an officer came behind her and put her arms in handcuffs, the video showed. — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 25 July 2026 Dahvid Schloss, chief operating officer of cybersecurity firm Suzu Labs, offers a different take. — Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for officer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for officer
  1. policeman
  2. official
  3. cop
  4. administrator
  5. constable
Noun
  • Sugar’s purpose in this earthly life — to reunite lost families in the City of Angels — is crumbling under the maddening impossibility of convicting a policeman of a crime in a world where the crime is the point.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 24 July 2026
  • The movie focuses on a murder of a shepherd unraveled by his flock, which aids a somewhat hapless rural policeman in solving the crime.
    — David Folkenflik, NPR, 23 July 2026
Definition of policeman
Noun
  • Election officials say the program is prone to errors, but it is being promoted by people who have cast doubts about the 2020 election, including staffers of the Georgia State Election Board.
    — Caleb Groves, AJC.com, 23 July 2026
  • The tradition, known as lördagsgodis, began in the 1950s by Swedish health officials to encourage limiting candy-eating to once a week and prevent cavities.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 July 2026
Definition of official
Noun
  • Then Nia fell in love, got dumped, had the cops called on her in a confrontation with her boyfriend—and produced her most heart-stopping work to date.
    — Will Pritchard, Pitchfork, 20 July 2026
  • Investigators pulled bodycam footage from other cops who had been in the room.
    — Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 20 July 2026
Definition of cop
Noun
  • The change is targeted for May 31, 2027, a TSA employee in Tampa said they were told during a town hall Monday led by Adam Stahl, acting TSA deputy administrator.
    — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • But there is also huge potential to drive efficiency for employers, many of whom currently have no choice but to appoint teams of administrators to manage all the HR tasks that would be done automatically in an office environment.
    — David Prosser, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of administrator
Noun
  • The woman was able to flee the scene and located deputy constables.
    — Adam England, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
  • Troopers and Beacon Falls constables responded to the home and detained Drozdowski, state police said.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 6 May 2026
Definition of constable

Phrases Containing officer

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Cite this Entry

“Officer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/officer. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on officer

Nglish: Translation of officer for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about officer

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