commissioned officer

noun

a military officer holding a commission, such as Second Lieutenant in the British Army, Acting Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force, and officers of all ranks senior to these

commissioned officer

An officer of a country's armed services whose rank is confirmed by a government document (a commission). In many countries, including the United States, commissioned officers in the navy are those of the rank of ensign and above, and in the army and air force those of the rank of lieutenant and above.

Commissioned officers are contrasted with enlisted men and women, such as privates, corporals, and sergeants, or ordinary seamen and petty officers.

First recorded in 1675–85

How does commissioned officer compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

They touted his war record as a non-commissioned officer in Vietnam, where he earned a purple heart.

Ney was fortunate in that he had not to spend long years as a non-commissioned officer with no obvious future before him.

The sergeant's reply was: "Sire, how can a non-commissioned officer dine with a general?"

The non-commissioned officer was a tall Kentuckian, over six feet high, lank and raw-boned.

At one of the military stations we took on a guard of a dozen or fifteen soldiers under command of a non-commissioned officer.

But in the modesty of the non-commissioned officer Bruce had underrated his own prominence in Indian eyes.

April 19, 2024tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

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