officer

officer — noun

1. someone serving in the army, navy, or air force whose rank gives them the right

1.名詞B2
釋義

someone serving in the army, navy, or air force whose rank gives them the right to give orders to lower-ranking soldiers or sailors; also used for senior crew members on a cargo ship or cruise liner.

例句

Captain Mendez was the youngest officer ever to lead a tank battalion.

title + officer naming a specific military rank

Naval officers stood at attention as the ambassador walked across the deck.

plural collocation: naval officers

同義詞
  • commander

    stresses the authority to lead a unit, not just rank

  • lieutenant

    a specific junior rank, not a general term

反義詞

用法筆記

Often appears with a rank or branch as a modifier (army officer, naval officer, junior officer, commanding officer). Distinguish from sense 3: a military officer outranks ordinary soldiers, while a police officer is simply any member of the force, regardless of rank.

常見錯誤

❌My uncle is an officer soldier in the navy.
✅My uncle is a naval officer.
💡don't pair 'officer' with 'soldier'; choose one term.

2. someone chosen or appointed to take charge of a particular area of work in a com

2.名詞B1
釋義

someone chosen or appointed to take charge of a particular area of work in a company, government department, club, or other group, often with a job title that ends in 'officer' (such as press officer or finance officer).

例句

Dr. Tanaka was elected officer of the regional medical association last spring.

elected + officer (society / association role)

The bank's new chief financial officer cut spending by twenty percent.

compound title: chief financial officer (CFO)

同義詞
  • official

    stresses formal authority, often in government

  • executive

    senior business role; usually higher than ordinary officer

  • administrator

    manages day-to-day work rather than holding a named office

反義詞
  • member

    an ordinary participant with no special role

用法筆記

Frequently forms compound job titles: chief executive officer, public relations officer, training officer, customs officer. Subject is typically an institution (a bank, a club, a charity) rather than the armed forces. Distinguish from sense 1, where the authority comes from a military rank rather than a job appointment.

常見錯誤

❌She is officer of the company.
✅She is an officer of the company.
💡countable noun; don't drop the article.

3. any man or woman whose job is to keep public order and arrest people who break t

3.名詞B1
釋義

any man or woman whose job is to keep public order and arrest people who break the law; also used on its own when speaking directly to such a person, as in 'Sorry, officer, what's wrong?'

例句

Two officers in dark uniforms knocked on Sofia's door at midnight.

plural: officers used for police without 'police' before it

Officer Chen helped the lost child find her grandmother in the park.

title before name: Officer + surname

同義詞
  • cop

    informal, mostly American spoken English

  • constable

    British, lower-ranking police officer

  • patrolman

    older American term, dated outside news writing

反義詞
  • civilian

    any ordinary person without police or military authority

用法筆記

Often shortened from 'police officer'. Used as a polite form of address to any uniformed police, regardless of rank. Distinguish from sense 1: a police officer is not a military rank, even though both involve uniforms and authority.

常見錯誤

❌I called the officers and reported the theft.
✅I called the police and reported the theft.
💡when calling the service, say 'the police'; use 'officer(s)' for an individual person.

officer — verb