staff sergeant

noun

: a noncommissioned officer ranking in the army above a sergeant and below a platoon sergeant or sergeant first class, in the air force above a sergeant and below a technical sergeant, and in the marine corps above a sergeant and below a gunnery sergeant

Examples of staff 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.
Morgan held the rank of staff sergeant prior to his promotion. — Janelle Ash , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026 Chen, a staff sergeant who served in the Armored Corps, had been stationed at the Gaza border on October 7. — Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025 Pennington will be posthumously promoted to staff sergeant, the Pentagon said. — Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2026 An Army sergeant, an Army staff sergeant and another soldier have all been fined after being convicted in Colorado on poaching charges. — Jesse Sarles, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for staff sergeant

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined above

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

Rhymes for staff sergeant

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Browse Nearby Words

Staffs
staff sergeant
staff sergeant major
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Cite this Entry

“Staff sergeant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/staff%20sergeant. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

staff sergeant

noun
: a military enlisted person with a rank just below that of platoon sergeant in the army, below that of gunnery sergeant in the marines, and below that of technical sergeant in the air force
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