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
Ten Broward Sheriff’s deputies and sergeants who were entangled in the shocking and chaotic triple murder in Tamarac earlier this year have been recommended for termination, the union representing the sheriff’s office announced.
—
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 13 July 2025
The union’s statement shared Friday evening with the South Florida Sun Sentinel does not name any of the 10 deputies or sergeants.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 11 July 2025
All officers, sergeants and lieutenants in the Glendale Police Department are required to undergo active shooter training, but this was the first training many officers had conducted on school grounds, according to Officer Jude Soine.
—Erick Trevino, AZCentral.com, 8 July 2025
The department swore in its first class of 12 officers — a captain, two sergeants and nine patrol officers — earlier this month after the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement last summer certified the new law enforcement agency.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sergeant
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 13 July 2025
The union’s statement shared Friday evening with the South Florida Sun Sentinel does not name any of the 10 deputies or sergeants.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 11 July 2025
All officers, sergeants and lieutenants in the Glendale Police Department are required to undergo active shooter training, but this was the first training many officers had conducted on school grounds, according to Officer Jude Soine.
—Erick Trevino, AZCentral.com, 8 July 2025
The department swore in its first class of 12 officers — a captain, two sergeants and nine patrol officers — earlier this month after the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement last summer certified the new law enforcement agency.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 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 24 Jul. 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"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share