officer

1 of 2

noun

of·​fi·​cer ˈä-fə-sər 

ˈȯ-

1

a

obsolete : agent

b

: one charged with police duties

2

: one who holds an office of trust, authority, or command

the officers of the bank

chief executive officer

3

a

: one who holds a position of authority or command in the armed forces

specifically : commissioned officer

b

: the master or any of the mates of a merchant or passenger ship

officer

2 of 2

verb

officered; officering; officers

transitive verb

1

: to furnish with officers

2

: to command or direct as an officer

Synonyms

Noun

• bobby [British]
• bull [slang]
• constable [chiefly British]
• cop
• copper
• flatfoot [slang]
• fuzz
• gendarme
• lawman
• policeman
• police officer
• shamus [slang]

Examples of officer in a Sentence

Noun

if you are ever lost, find the nearest officer and ask for help

an officer of the court

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The city of Uvalde on Tuesday released an additional collection of videos and investigative materials showing law enforcement officers' flawed response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in May 2022, when a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers. —Tony Plohetski, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024

An officer pointed a gun at the second man and ordered him to lie on the ground on his stomach with his hands behind his back, body camera footage showed. —Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024

Verb

One of the few people who survived the shooting was Childs' 15-year-old brother, who officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the front porch of the family's house in the 3500 block of Adams Street. —Noe Padilla, The Indianapolis Star, 25 Oct. 2024

The settlement also includes police reforms in Greensboro and the surrounding areas including revisions to Use of Force policies and officer mental health training. —Dateline Nbc, NBC News, 8 Aug. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "servant, agent, holder of a civil or ecclesiastical post," borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin officiārius, from Latin officium "duty, office" + -ārius -er entry 2

Verb

derivative of officer entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing officer

• admissions officer
• attendance officer
• chief executive officer
• chief petty officer
• chief warrant officer
• commanding officer
• commissioned officer
• company officer
• executive officer
• field officer
• flag officer
• flying officer
• general officer
• juvenile officer
• line officer
• master chief petty officer
• master chief petty officer of the coast guard
• master chief petty officer of the navy
• noncommissioned officer
• officer of arms
• peace officer
• petty officer
• petty officer first class
• petty officer second class
• petty officer third class
• pilot officer
• police officer
• press officer
• probation officer
• public officer
• returning officer
• senior chief petty officer
• staff officer
• truant officer
• warrant officer

Kids Definition

officer

noun

of·​fi·​cer

ˈäf-ə-sər,

ˈȯf-

1

: a person given the responsibility of enforcing the law

a police officer

2

: a person who holds an office

an officer of the company

3

: a person who holds a commission in the armed forces

Legal Definition

officer

noun

of·​fic·​er

1

: one charged with administering or enforcing the law

a police officer

2

: one who holds an office of trust, authority, or command

the directors, officers, employees, and shareholders of a corporation

3

: one who holds a position of authority or command in the armed forces