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Military & Defence vocabulary · Ranks & Personnel

Officer

Meaning in military & defence, with examples

/ˈɒfɪsə/nounCore term

In military & defence, officer means: A member of the armed forces who holds a commission, has authority over others and is trained to lead units and plan operations.

In Turkish: subay

How it is used

Officers range from second lieutenant to general or admiral. Common phrases: junior officer, senior officer, staff officer, commanding officer (CO), duty officer. In civilian English 'officer' can also mean a police officer or an official.

Example sentences

  1. She was the youngest officer in the logistics branch.

  2. All officers must complete the course before their next promotion.

Common collocations

  • commanding officer
  • junior officer
  • senior officer
  • duty officer
  • officer training
  • non-commissioned officer (NCO)A soldier with a position of authority, such as a corporal or sergeant, who has risen through the ranks but does not hold an officer's commission.
  • rankA person's official level in the military hierarchy, shown on the uniform, which decides their authority, duties and pay.
  • lieutenantA junior officer rank, usually the first one an officer holds after training; in the army a lieutenant often commands a platoon.
  • staff officerAn officer who works in a headquarters, helping the commander to plan, organise and coordinate, rather than commanding a unit directly.
  • cadetA young person training to become an officer at a military academy or in an officer training programme.

More terms: Ranks & Personnel

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