sergeant major

noun

A senior, noncommissioned appointment in the Army of a company or unit, directly responsible to the officer in charge for their soldiers' performance, standards, discipline, morale, welfare, et al, that can be held by a Warrant Officer or above.

Similar
command sergeant majorAbudefduf saxatilis

Meanings

nounsergeant major (plural sergeant majors or sergeants major)

plural sergeant majors · plural sergeants major

  1. CanadaA senior, noncommissioned appointment in the Army of a company or unit, directly responsible to the officer in charge for their soldiers' performance, standards, discipline, morale, welfare, et al, that can be held by a Warrant Officer or above.
  2. USplural sergeants majorThe most senior rank of non-commissioned officer in the United States Army, ranking above a first sergeant. In the United States Marine Corps it ranks above First Sergeant and is equal in grade to Master Gunnery Sergeant.
  3. UKplural sergeant majorsAn appointment (not a rank) in the British Army and Royal Marines, denoting the most senior non-commissioned officer in a battalion, regiment or company.
  4. Singaporeplural sergeant majorsAn appointment (not a rank) in the Singapore Army and National Cadet Corps, denoting the most senior non-commissioned officer in a battalion, regiment, company or unit.
  5. A pintano, (Abudefduf saxatilis), a species of damselfish.
  6. Abrota ganga, a butterfly of Southeast Asia.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna noncommissioned officer serving as chief administrative officer of a headquarters unit of the Army

Similar
command sergeant major
Broader

nounlarge blue-grey black-striped damselfish; nearly worldwide

Similar
Abudefduf saxatilis
Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Finnish sotilasmestari
  • sotilasmestarisergeant major
French sergent-major
  • sergent-majorsergeant major
German Hauptfeldwebel
  • Hauptfeldwebelsergeant major
Greek ανθυπασπιστής
  • ανθυπασπιστής (anthypaspistís)sergeant major
Irish maorsháirsint
  • maorsháirsintsergeant major
Italian sergente maggiore
  • sergente maggioresergeant major
Korean 원사, 특무상사
  • 원사 (wonsa)sergeant major
  • 특무상사 (teungmusangsa)sergeant major
Polish starszy sierżant
  • starszy sierżantsergeant major
Portuguese sargento-mor
  • sargento-morsergeant major
Russian старшина́, ста́рший сержа́нт
  • старшина́ (staršiná)sergeant major
  • ста́рший сержа́нт (stáršij seržánt)sergeant major
Spanish sargento mayor
  • sargento mayorsergeant major
Swedish regementsförvaltare, militärmästare
  • regementsförvaltaresergeant major
  • militärmästaresergeant major
Vietnamese thượng sĩ
  • thượng sĩsergeant major
Cite this entry
APA

sergeant major. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sergeant%20major

MLA

“sergeant major.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sergeant%20major. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sergeant major,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sergeant%20major.

Source: sergeant major on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.