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sergeant at arms
noun phrase
: an officer of an organization (such as a legislative body or court of law) who preserves order and executes commands
Examples of sergeant at arms in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Unlike Lawson and Trumbo, however, he was not dragged from the witness table, which would have a challenging task for a sergeant at arms.
—Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Oct. 2024
The speaker of the House is not in charge of Capitol security; that is overseen by the Capitol Police Board, a body that includes the sergeants at arms of the House and the Senate.
—Cnn.com, The Mercury News, 28 June 2024
In December, Sexton and his co-defendants – who include members of the clerk’s office and the sergeant at arms – filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, which remains ongoing.
—Dakin Andone, CNN, 13 Feb. 2024
The House sergeant at arms recently received a subpoena from the Justice Department seeking records related to Bush's use of security funds, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.
—Michael Kaplan, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2024
Chris Reeves and Solange Schwalbe continue in their roles as treasurer and sergeant at arms, respectively.
—Carolyn Giardina, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Dec. 2023
Tennessee State House votes to 'silence' Rep. Justin Jones, 1 of 2 Democrats expelled earlier this year
The state House chief clerk, chief sergeant at arms, and assistant chief clerk and parliamentarian are named as co-defendants.
—Devon M. Sayers, CNN, 3 Oct. 2023
The sergeant at arms, who is elected by senators and acts as a protocol officer and law enforcement, enforced the dress code, which is not explicitly spelled out on paper.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2023
The debate on the bill was interrupted twice by protesters shouting until Senate President Kathleen Passidomo ordered the sergeant at arms to escort everyone out of the galleries and shut them down.
—Jeffrey Schweers, Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sergeant at arms.' 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
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of sergeant at arms was
in the 14th century
Articles Related to sergeant at arms
Dictionary Entries Near sergeant at arms
Cite this Entry
“Sergeant at arms.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sergeant%20at%20arms. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
sergeant at arms
: an officer of a court of law or a lawmaking body appointed to keep order
More from Merriam-Webster on sergeant at arms
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sergeant at arms
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