Definitions for "Warrant Officer"
Keywords:  ncos, army, military, rank, royal
Often abbreviated to WO. A Commonwealth serviceman who holds the Royal Warrant and is graded above staff sergeant (flight sergeant in the air forces) and below commissioned officers. Examples are the Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM, whose rank is WOI--Warrant Officer, Class 1) and Battery Sergeant Major (BSM, whose rank is WOII--Warrant Officer, Class II). The WOs were, and are, known as the 'backbone of the Army'. No doubt, they are equally respected and valued in the navies and air forces. [Go to source
holds rank by virtue of a warrant
a figure that demands respect from both the enlisted and the officers