Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 22, 2026

Officer

An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French oficier "officer, official", from Medieval Latin officiarius "an officer," from Latin officium "a service, a duty" the late Latin from officiarius, meaning "official."

Last revised
Jul 22, 2026
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Picture of a Sabhara officer with an assault rifle
A Sabhara officer source ↗

An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization.1 The term derives from Old French oficier "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French officier), from Medieval Latin officiarius "an officer," from Latin officium "a service, a duty" the late Latin from officiarius, meaning "official."2

Examples

Ceremonial and other contexts

Corporations

Education

Law enforcement

Military

Politics and government

Shipping industry

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Heathfield, Susan (2021-02-19). "What Do Job Titles Signify on the Organization Chart?". The Balance Careers. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
  2. "officer | Origin and meaning of officer by Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com. Retrieved 2021-04-12.