first sergeant

noun

1
: a noncommissioned officer serving as the chief assistant to the commander of a military unit (such as a company or squadron)
2
: the rank of a first sergeant
specifically : a rank in the army above a sergeant first class and below a sergeant major and in the marine corps above a gunnery sergeant and below a master gunnery sergeant

Examples of first sergeant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Aletha Calloway enlisted in the U.S. Army after high school, working her way up the ranks in various assignments, becoming a field recruiter, guidance counselor and eventually tapped to be first sergeant of a recruiting battalion in Syracuse, New York. — Alexandria Burris, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Nov. 2024 Nate Anderson Democrat Nate Anderson is a first sergeant in the Indiana Army National Guard. — Nadia Scharf, The Indianapolis Star, 17 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of first sergeant was in 1776

Rhymes for first sergeant

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Browse Nearby Words

first-run
first sergeant
first slip
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Cite this Entry

“First sergeant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20sergeant. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

first sergeant

noun
1
: a noncommissioned officer who is the chief assistant to a military commander
2
: a noncommissioned officer with the rank just below sergeant major in the army and the marines

More from Merriam-Webster on first sergeant

Nglish: Translation of first sergeant for Spanish Speakers

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