Meaning & use
military officer
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablemilitary
A member of the armed forces who holds a commission and has the authority to lead and give orders to others.
Grammar: Takes a/an: a military officer; refers to rank, so it includes lieutenants, captains, and generals.
Patterns
- a military officer in something
- a retired military officer
Her father was a military officer who commanded a transport unit.
A young military officer briefed the visitors on base safety.
The military officer saluted as the flag was raised.
nouncountablemilitary
Someone appointed to lead a specific area or task within a military force, such as a medical, legal, or supply officer.
Grammar: Often specified with another word: a military legal officer.
Patterns
- a military officer responsible for something
The military officer in charge of supplies counted the crates.
A military officer from the legal branch reviewed the case.
Each base has a military officer handling medical care.
Word forms
| plural | military officers |
|---|
Common combinations
- senior military officer
- A senior military officer addressed the cadets.
- retired military officer
- He is a retired military officer who now teaches history.
- high-ranking military officer
- A high-ranking military officer was invited to the ceremony.
- become a military officer
- She trained for four years to become a military officer.
- commission as a military officer
- He received his commission as a military officer after graduating.
Synonyms and how they differ
- commander
- Commander describes someone leading a unit, while military officer names the whole class of commissioned leaders.
- officer
- Officer on its own is shorter but can also mean a police officer, so military officer is clearer.
- commissioned officer
- Commissioned officer is more technical and stresses the formal commission, whereas military officer is the everyday phrase.
- serviceman
- Serviceman covers any member of the armed forces, including enlisted ranks, so it is wider than military officer.
Opposites
Word family
- military adjective
- relating to the armed forces
- officer noun
- a person with a position of authority
- officership noun
- the rank or role of being an officer
- militarily adverb
- in a way relating to armed forces
Commonly confused: military officer or enlisted soldier? military officer or officer?
military officer vs enlisted soldier
An enlisted soldier joins the ranks without a commission and takes orders from officers. A military officer holds a commission and leads.
military officer vs officer
Officer alone can refer to a police officer or a company official. Military officer makes it clear that the person serves in the armed forces.
Practice
Which person is a military officer?
Choose one answer.
A captain holds a commission and leads others, which makes the person an officer. A private is enlisted, a contractor is a civilian, and a detective is not in the armed forces.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “military officer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.