any of several noncommissioned officer ranks in the Army or Air Force or Marines ranking above a corporal
"The new sergeant took over command of the squad, outranking the corporals beneath him."
a lawman with the rank of sergeant
"The new sergeant arrested the suspect without hesitation."
an English barrister of the highest rank
"The distinguished sergeant delivered a powerful closing argument that swayed the jury in his client's favor."
UK army rank with NATO code OR-6, senior to corporal and junior to warrant officer ranks.
"After years of service as a corporal, he was promoted to sergeant, the next step in the British Army hierarchy before reaching warrant officer status."
In plain English: A sergeant is an officer who leads other soldiers and helps keep order within their unit.
"The sergeant shouted at the soldiers to fix their uniforms immediately."
Usage: Use sergeant as the standard term for an NCO in British military forces who commands small units like squads or sections. It is distinct from American usage where a similar role might be called staff sergeant depending on the specific branch and context.
An occupational surname, from occupations for a servant.
"The genealogist noted that Sergeant was an occupational surname derived from roles involving household service."
The word sergeant comes from the Latin serviens, meaning "serving," which evolved through Medieval Latin and Old French before entering Middle English as a term for a servant or soldier. It is related to the words servant and servient but developed its specific military sense in English over time.