flag-officer

A flag-officer stands on the deck of a ship.

Definition

Noun: A flag-officer is a high-ranking naval officer who is entitled to fly a flag indicating their command rank, typically an admiral, vice-admiral, rear-admiral, or commodore.

Usage Examples

Advanced Usage

• "to be a flag-officer": to hold a senior rank in a navy that entitles one to display a personal flag.

  • After his promotion, he became a flag-officer and moved to the flagship. (He now commands from a ship that carries his flag.)

• "flag-officer rank": the level or grade of such an officer.

  • She achieved flag-officer rank at a relatively young age. (She became an admiral early in her career.)

Variants and Related Words

• Flag (n): a piece of cloth with a symbol, used as a symbol of a country or organization; in naval terms, a flag indicates an officer's rank.

  • The admiral's flag was flown from the mainmast. (The flag showed his authority.)

• Officer (n): a person holding a position of authority in the armed forces, especially a commissioned rank.

  • The officer gave orders to the crew. (The commanding person issued instructions.)

• Flagship (n): the ship that carries the flag-officer and serves as the command center of a fleet.

  • The flagship led the formation into battle. (The command ship went first.)

Synonyms

• Admiral: a high-ranking naval officer, often used interchangeably with flag-officer for practical purposes.
• Naval commander: an officer who commands a fleet or naval unit.

Related Idioms

• "to fly the flag": to represent one's country or organization, especially in a military context.

  • The flag-officer flew the flag of his nation proudly. (He displayed the national symbol to show authority and presence.)

• "to be under a flag": to be under the command of a specific flag-officer.

  • The destroyer was under the flag of the rear-admiral. (The ship was part of that officer's command.)