rear admiral

noun

: a commissioned officer in the navy or coast guard having either of two ranks:
a
: one who ranks above a captain

called also rear admiral (lower half)

b
: one who ranks above a rear admiral (lower half) and below a vice admiral

called also rear admiral (upper half)

Examples of rear admiral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Records show Jackson was demoted from rear admiral (lower half) to captain. Jordan Freiman, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2024 At the time of the report, Jackson was classified by the Navy as a rear admiral (lower half), a one-star admiral that is distinct from the two-star rear admiral position. Alex Horton, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 Jackson, who retired in 2019 as a one-star rear admiral, was demoted to the rank of captain, according to two US officials. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 In 1958, the ring was found in Korea, astonishingly by the driver of an American rear admiral who had been one of Dial’s classmates at Annapolis many years earlier. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2024 The rear admiral acting as director was only recently promoted to one-star. Alexandra Heal, Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2023 May, who rose to rear admiral, also contributed to an effort to guarantee the survival of Montauk Point Lighthouse. Dorothy Wickenden, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023 After logging 504 hours in space, Mr. Mattingly retired as a rear admiral and worked in the private sector for many years, primarily for aerospace companies. Michael S. Rosenwald, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2023 Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro issued censure letters to the three rear admirals, the Navy said in a news release. CBS News, 29 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rear admiral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rear admiral was in 1589

Dictionary Entries Near rear admiral

Cite this Entry

“Rear admiral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rear%20admiral. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rear admiral

noun
: a naval commissioned officer with a rank just below that of vice admiral

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