1
2
obsolete
: an officer who enforces the judgments of a court or the commands of one in authority
3
: a noncommissioned officer ranking in the army and marine corps above a corporal and below a staff sergeant
broadly
: noncommissioned officer
4
: an officer in a police force ranking in the U.S. just below captain or sometimes lieutenant and in England just below inspector
Examples of sergeant in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At Samson Allen’s trial on May 7, sergeants from the department on the witness stand offered the public its first glimpse into that review.
—
Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 27 May 2025
The sergeant — speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal — said the troops used a 16-year-old and a 30-year-old for a few days.
—Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2025
Thomas has 28 years of policing experience and has held various jobs in his career, including patrol officer and investigator, Investigative sergeant, Patrol Services lieutenant and Administrative Services commander, among many others.
—R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025
After Thomas called a CMPD office and made threats, a sergeant called him back and recorded the call, court records said.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sergeant
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Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 27 May 2025
The sergeant — speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal — said the troops used a 16-year-old and a 30-year-old for a few days.
—Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2025
Thomas has 28 years of policing experience and has held various jobs in his career, including patrol officer and investigator, Investigative sergeant, Patrol Services lieutenant and Administrative Services commander, among many others.
—R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025
After Thomas called a CMPD office and made threats, a sergeant called him back and recorded the call, court records said.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sergeant
Cite this Entry
“Sergeant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sergeant. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sergeant
noun
ser·geant
ˈsär-jənt 
1
: a military noncommissioned officer with any of the ranks above corporal in the army or the marines or above airman first class in the air force
especially
: an enlisted person with the rank just below that of staff sergeant
2
: a police officer ranking in the U.S. just below captain or sometimes lieutenant
Etymology
Middle English sergeant "sergeant, attendant, servant," from early French sergent, serjant (same meaning), from Latin servient-, serviens, a form of the verb servire "to serve"
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