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master sergeant

master sergeant

7 6.0
A senior military rank in the Army or Marines above sergeant and below sergeant major
  • noun
  • /ˈmæstər ˈsɜrdʒənt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sargento mayor
  • Boivin, a 47-year-old retired Army master sergeant, and Army Sgt. Maj. William Lubbers, 43, both of Fayetteville, were among the four veterans killed in the accident.
  • retired master sergeant
  • Army master sergeant
  • Marine master sergeant

I was an active duty master Sergeant at the tip of the spear, having a decent family life.

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Examples

  • You left as a master sergeant of a heavy weapons platoon.

  • My father was a master sergeant in the infantry, Sgt. Clyde E. Diehl.

    Blog text (11)
  • Yeah, he was a master sergeant.

  • You ought to be a master sergeant by now.

  • My daddy was a master sergeant in the army.

  • I was a master sergeant in the Marine Corps.

  • He was a master sergeant in a special assault unit.

  • He's a retired master sergeant and a Vietnam vet who knows the post inside and out.

    Blog text (19)
  • Green thinks of his father, Frank, a retired Marine Corps master sergeant and 20-year veteran.

    Academic text (2000)
  • My daddy was a master sergeant in the army.

Synonyms

SMSgt
vsmaster sergeant
  • Jargon
8.9

A senior rank in the U.S. Air Force for experienced members who are not officers

is used in the Army and Marines rather than in the Air Force

Antonyms

76 3.7

A soldier of the lowest rank in the army or marines

How Senior

sergeant major
  • Specialized
7 6.1
master sergeant
  • Specialized
7 6.0
sergeant first class
  • Specialized
4 5.5
sergeant
422 3.9
staff sergeant
  • Specialized
14 3.5
corporal
  • Specialized
450 4.3
private
76 3.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

master + sergeant

The meaning is directly built from 'master' (a person with authority or higher status) plus 'sergeant' (a non-commissioned officer), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a more senior sergeant or higher-ranking NCO. While the exact position in a specific military hierarchy may be conventional, the overall sense of a senior noncommissioned officer is transparently derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Master sergeant combines master (an expert or chief) and sergeant (a soldier who helps lead others). The image is of a very experienced sergeant with extra skill and responsibility, so the term means a 'senior' soldier who helps lead others.