Meaning & use
sergeant
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablemilitary
A non-commissioned officer in the army or air force, ranking above a corporal and often leading a small unit.
Grammar: Used as a title before a name, usually capitalized: Sergeant Lee.
Patterns
- sergeant of something
The sergeant ordered the squad to move out at dawn.
Sergeant Lopez trained the new recruits.
He was promoted to sergeant after two years of service.
nouncountableBritish
A police officer ranking above a constable or patrol officer, who supervises a team.
Grammar: Used with a name as a title: Sergeant Doyle.
Patterns
- a police sergeant
The desk sergeant took down the report.
A police sergeant arrived to coordinate the search.
She worked her way up from patrol officer to sergeant.
Word forms
| plural | sergeants |
|---|
Common combinations
- drill sergeant
- The drill sergeant shouted at the cadets.
- staff sergeant
- The staff sergeant checked every rifle.
- police sergeant
- The police sergeant led the briefing.
- desk sergeant
- Ask the desk sergeant about the lost wallet.
- promoted to sergeant
- He was promoted to sergeant last spring.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- sergeancy noun
- the rank or office of a sergeant (rare)
- sergeant major noun
- a senior non-commissioned officer
- serjeant noun
- an older spelling used for certain legal officers
- sergeantship noun
- the rank of sergeant (rare)
Commonly confused: sergeant or surgeon? sergeant or sargent?
sergeant vs surgeon
A surgeon is a doctor who operates, and the two words sound a little alike but are unrelated.
sergeant vs sargent
Sargent is a surname and a common misspelling; the rank is spelled sergeant.
Practice
Which spelling is correct for the military rank above a corporal?
Choose one answer.
Sergeant has an e after the s and ends in -eant. The other spellings are common mistakes.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sergeant”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.