Meaning & use
sworn officer
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablelaw
A law enforcement officer who has taken an official oath and has full police powers, such as the power to arrest.
Grammar: Countable; can be used with 'a' or in the plural 'sworn officers'.
Patterns
- a sworn officer
- sworn officers
- sworn law enforcement officer
Only a sworn officer can make an arrest in this state.
The department hired ten new sworn officers this year.
As a sworn officer, she has the authority to carry a firearm.
nouncountablemilitaryformal
A military officer who has taken a formal oath of service.
Grammar: Countable; often used in official or formal contexts.
Patterns
- a sworn officer
- sworn officers of the armed forces
All sworn officers must obey the code of conduct.
He became a sworn officer after completing his training.
Word forms
| plural | sworn officers |
|---|
Common combinations
- sworn law enforcement officer
- The suspect was arrested by a sworn law enforcement officer.
- sworn officer status
- After the ceremony, she achieved sworn officer status.
- sworn officer position
- He applied for a sworn officer position at the police department.
Synonyms and how they differ
- police officer
- More general; does not necessarily imply having taken an oath or having full powers.
- law enforcement officer
- Broader term that can include non-sworn personnel like dispatchers or analysts.
Commonly confused: sworn officer or sworn in?
sworn officer vs sworn in
This is a phrasal verb meaning 'to take an official oath', not a type of officer. A sworn officer has been sworn in.
Practice
Which person is most likely to be called a sworn officer?
Choose one answer.
A sworn officer is a law enforcement officer who has taken an official oath and has full police powers. Security guards, dispatchers, and volunteer firefighters are not sworn officers.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sworn officer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.