Meaning & use

chief petty officer

noun·Advanced

A senior non-commissioned officer rank in the navy, above petty officer and below warrant officer.

See it in a sentence

The chief petty officer trained new recruits in basic seamanship and discipline.

After fifteen years of service, she was promoted to chief petty officer.

A note on using this word

The rank and its abbreviation, CPO, exist in the US Navy, Royal Navy, and several other Commonwealth navies with similar duties.

Words with a similar meaning

This term is best learned through its definition and examples.

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “chief petty officer”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.