sergeant major

noun

plural sergeants major or sergeant majors

1

: a noncommissioned officer in the army or marine corps serving as chief administrative assistant in a headquarters

2

: a noncommissioned officer in the marine corps ranking above a first sergeant

3

: a bluish-green to yellow bony fish (Abudefduf saxatilis of the family Pomacentridae) with black vertical stripes on the sides that is widely distributed in the western tropical Atlantic Ocean

Examples of sergeant major in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The former students, all Chinese nationals, were confronted by a sergeant major of the Utah National Guard in August 2023 after midnight near a lake at Camp Grayling, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court Oct. 1. —Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 13 Oct. 2024

Her father said Marine Corps officers and sergeant majors traveled from as far as California to attend her funeral. —Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2024

David Crump spent 30 years in the Army, rising in the ranks to sergeant major before retiring from the service. —Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2024

Wearing a uniform like his ancestor wore, its sleeves marked with the insignia of a sergeant major, Morris reflects on his own ambitions. —Jennie Rothenberg Gritz, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1797, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

sergeant major

noun

plural sergeants major or sergeant majors

1

: a noncommissioned officer (as in the army) serving as chief enlisted assistant in a headquarters

2

: an enlisted person of the highest rank in the army or marines