master sergeant

noun

: a noncommissioned officer ranking in the army above a sergeant first class and below a staff sergeant major, in the air force above a technical sergeant and below a senior master sergeant, and in the marine corps above a gunnery sergeant and below a master gunnery sergeant

Examples of master 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.
The 38-year-old Army master sergeant has pleaded not guilty. — Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 28 June 2026 The incident reportedly happened at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base on Tuesday while the master sergeant was performing a pre-shutdown inspection of the aircraft. — Greg Norman, Fox News, 22 Jan. 2025 Logan is an active-duty master sergeant who has completed multiple overseas tours in Afghanistan, Qatar, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. — Dan Perry, Newsweek, 1 Mar. 2025 Van Dyke joined the Army in 2008 and, in 2023, was promoted to the rank of master sergeant, the second-highest enlisted rank in the Army, according to the indictment. — Hallie Golden, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for master sergeant

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of master sergeant was in 1920

Rhymes for master sergeant

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Browse Nearby Words

Masters
master sergeant
mastership
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Cite this Entry

“Master sergeant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/master%20sergeant. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

master sergeant

noun
: a military noncommissioned officer with the rank just below that of sergeant major in the army, below that of master gunnery sergeant in the marines, and below that of senior master sergeant in the air force
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