A person who holds a position of authority or responsibility, especially in the military, police, or a company.
From Old French "officier" meaning "official, one who holds office," from Latin "officium" (duty, service, office). It links the person directly to an official duty.
An officer is supposed to be the living form of an office—someone who embodies a particular duty. That’s why we say "officer on duty"; the person and the role are almost fused.
The term “officer,” especially in military and police contexts, has historically referred to roles overwhelmingly held by men, and language often defaulted to male pronouns and imagery. Women officers were late to be admitted and often marginalized or sexualized in discourse.
Use “officer” with gender-neutral pronouns unless a person’s self-identified gender is known, and avoid assuming leadership or authority roles are male by default.
["official","leader","supervisor","commanding officer (gender‑neutral)"]
When describing institutions that rely on officers, acknowledge the contributions and challenges of women and gender‑minority officers who helped diversify and reform these organizations.
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