noun
- a person who holds a position of rank or authority in the army, navy, air force, or any similar organization, especially one who holds a commission.
- a member of a police department or a constable.
- a person licensed to take full or partial responsibility for the operation of a merchant ship or other large civilian ship; a master or mate.
- a person appointed or elected to some position of responsibility or authority in the government, a corporation, a society, etc.
- (in some honorary orders) a member of any rank except the lowest.
- Obsolete. an agent.
verb (used with object)
- to furnish with officers.
- to command or direct as an officer does.
- to direct, conduct, or manage.
noun
- a person in the armed services who holds a position of responsibility, authority, and duty, esp one who holds a commission
- See police officer
- (on a non-naval ship) any person including the captain and mate, who holds a position of authority and responsibilityradio officer; engineer officer
- a person appointed or elected to a position of responsibility or authority in a government, society, etc
- a government officiala customs officer
- (in the Order of the British Empire) a member of the grade below commander
verb (tr)
- to furnish with officers
- to act as an officer over (some section, group, organization, etc)
n.early 14c., “one who holds an office” (originally a high office), from Old French oficier “officer, official” (early 14c.), from Medieval Latin officarius “an officer,” from Latin officium “a service, a duty” (see office). The military sense is first recorded 1560s. Applied to petty officials of justice from 16c.; U.S. use in reference to policemen is from 1880s.