sergeant

noun

ser·​geant ˈsär-jənt How to pronounce sergeant (audio)
Synonyms of sergeantnext
1
: sergeant at arms
2
obsolete : an officer who enforces the judgments of a court or the commands of one in authority
3
: a noncommissioned officer ranking in the army and marine corps above a corporal and below a staff sergeant
broadly : noncommissioned officer
4
: an officer in a police force ranking in the U.S. just below captain or sometimes lieutenant and in England just below inspector

Examples of sergeant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The sergeant underwent surgery at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center. —Alex Mann, Baltimore Sun, 7 Aug. 2024 The family of an unarmed 18-year-old fatally shot by an undercover Los Angeles police sergeant last month plans to sue the city for wrongful death and is asking state prosecutors to file criminal charges. —Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2024 Nguyen and Dolan, also a police sergeant, cited bouts of violent crime, understaffing in the police department, an unclear future financial future for the city and the recent FBI raid of Thao’s Oakland home as reasons why Oakland needs new leadership. —Sierra Lopez, The Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2024 Democrat Tyler Kamp, a former shift commander, gang enforcement sergeant and homicide detective for the Phoenix Police Department, will face Republican Jerry Sheridan, who was the chief deputy of the Sheriff’s Office under former Sheriff Joe Arpaio. —Jimmy Jenkins, The Arizona Republic, 3 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sergeant 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sergeant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sergeaunt, seriaunt, sergaunt, sargeaunt "servant, attendant, foot soldier, officer of a town, a court, or the royal household, holder of a sergeancy," borrowed from Anglo-French (also continental Old French sergant), going back to early Medieval Latin servient-, serviens "servant," going back to Latin, present participle of serviō, servīre "to perform duties for (a master) in the capacity of a slave, serve entry 1"

Note: The word sergeant is in effect a doublet of servant, both ultimately descending from the present participle of Latin servīre. The two words are already distinct in some manuscripts of the eleventh-century Old French Vie de saint Alexis, with sergant referring to a trusted servant of a noble household, servant simply to one serving God. The usual pronunciation of English sergeant exemplifies the late Middle English change of /ɛr/ to /ar/ before a consonant, which is not reflected in the standard spelling.

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sergeant was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing sergeant

Dictionary Entries Near sergeant

sergeancy

sergeant

sergeant at arms

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Sergeant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sergeant. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.

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Kids Definition

sergeant

noun
ser·​geant ˈsär-jənt How to pronounce sergeant (audio)
1
: a military noncommissioned officer with any of the ranks above corporal in the army or the marines or above airman first class in the air force
especially : an enlisted person with the rank just below that of staff sergeant
2
: a police officer ranking in the U.S. just below captain or sometimes lieutenant
Etymology

Middle English sergeant "sergeant, attendant, servant," from early French sergent, serjant (same meaning), from Latin servient-, serviens, a form of the verb servire "to serve"

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