officer

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See also: Officer

English[edit]

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A group of customs officers

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English officer, from Anglo-Norman officer, officier, from Old French officer, Late Latin officiarius (official), from Latin officium (office) + -ārius (-er).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

officer (plural officers)

  1. One who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization, especially in military, police or government organizations.
  2. A respectful term of address for an officer, especially a police officer.
    • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XIX, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
      Nothing was too small to receive attention, if a supervising eye could suggest improvements likely to conduce to the common welfare. Mr. Gordon Burnage, for instance, personally visited dust-bins and back premises, accompanied by a sort of village bailiff, going his round like a commanding officer doing billets.
  3. One who holds a public office.
  4. An agent or servant imparted with the ability, to some degree, to act on initiative.
  5. (colloquial, military) A commissioned officer.

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

  • Central Dusun: upisor
  • Punjabi: ਅਫ਼ਸਰ (afasar)
  • Swahili: afisa

Translations[edit]

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Verb[edit]

officer (third-person singular simple present officers, present participle officering, simple past and past participle officered)

  1. (transitive) To supply with officers.
  2. (transitive) To command as or like an officer.
    • 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 31, in The History of Pendennis. [], volumes (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, [], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:
      Many of our journals are officered by Irish gentlemen, and their gallant brigade does the penning among us, as their ancestors used to transact the fighting in Europe; and engage under many a flag, to be good friends when the battle is over.
    • 1929, Robert Graves, chapter 10, in Good-Bye to All That[1], London: Jonathan Cape, page 115:
      The regular battalions of the regiment, though officered mainly by Anglo-Welshmen of county families, did not normally contain more than about one Welshman in fifty in the ranks.
    • 1992, Alasdair Gray, Poor Things, Bloomsbury, published 2002, page 306:
      [A]t least a quarter of those who fought and died in the Great War were prosperous with spacious homes, and to this class belonged nearly all who had ordered and officered the carnage.

Synonyms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Middle English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman officer, officier, from Latin officiārius; equivalent to office +‎ -er.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ɔfiˈseːr/, /ˈɔfisər/

Noun[edit]

officer (plural officers)

  1. A hireling or subordinate; one employed to serve, especially at an estate.
  2. An official or officeholder; the holder of a prominent office or position.
  3. A municipal, local or societal official or officeholder.
  4. A religious or ecclesiastical official or officeholder.
  5. (religion) A deputy or subordinate of the forces of good or evil.
  6. (rare) One who supervises or organises jousting.
  7. (rare) A member or leader of a military force.

Descendants[edit]

References[edit]

Old French[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Noun[edit]

officer oblique singularm (oblique plural officers, nominative singular officers, nominative plural officer)

  1. officer

References[edit]

Swedish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from French officer.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

officer c

  1. officer, a military person of fänrik grade or higher
  2. (archaic) ämbetsman, tjänsteman; one who holds a public office

Declension[edit]

Declension of officer 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative officer officeren officerare officerarna
Genitive officers officerens officerares officerarnas

Derived terms[edit]

References[edit]