first officer

American

noun

first mate.
copilot.

first officer British

noun

another name for first mate
the member of an aircraft crew who is second in command to the captain

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

First Officer Alexander McClelland was a founding member, in 1877.

From BBC

The captain and his first officer were taken into police custody before being allowed to return to sea with the two Russians, who disembarked during a stopover in Suez several days later, according to the lawyer.

From Barron's

The captain and his first officer were taken into police custody in early October before returning to sea.

From Barron's

The animation showed what Sam Lilley, the first officer of American Airlines Flight 5342, likely saw, the National Transportation Safety Board believes.

From The Wall Street Journal

Prosecutors argued over the three-week trial that Gonzales, 52, failed to immediately confront the gunman as the first officer on the scene.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023