high-rankingadj.
/ˌhʌɪˈraŋkɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈhaɪˈˌræŋkɪŋ/ Originally U.S.
1. Military. Of an officer: holding a high rank.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > [adjective] > of high or great importance > of rank
muchc1275
huge1430
highish1828
high-ranking1850
society > authority > office > holder of office > [adjective] > superior
greata1382
higha1400
seniora1513
superordinate1615
high-ranking1850
society > society and the community > social class > nobility > rank > [adjective] > exalted in rank
higheOE
stern of slatec1300
greatc1325
differentc1384
excellentc1400
haught1470
upper1477
elevate?1504
of sort1606
sublime1606
eminenta1616
exalted1623
elevated1665
uppish1797
ranking1847
high-up1848
high-ranking1850
superimposed1861
salt1868
top-ranking1936
society > armed hostility > warrior > soldier > leader or commander > officer or soldier of rank > [adjective] > high-ranking
high-ranking1850
brass-hatted1858
five-star1942
two-star1951
1850 in L. B. Chase Hist. Polk Admin. ix. 246 There was a traitor among the list of high ranking officers in the Mexican army.
1866 F. Moore Rebellion Rec. VI. 286/1 Morgan was victorious; the confident and high-ranking Van Dorn forced to retire from the field.
1922 S. Lewis Babbitt xviii. 232 He ought to have been a high-ranking officer, he had that natural ability to command.
1953 Times 6 Mar. 7/7 She left him..a son, Vassili, now a high ranking officer in the Soviet Air Force.
2006 New Yorker 10 July 42/3 The high-ranking general added that the military's experience in Iraq..has affected its approach to Iran.
2007 A. Bay Embrace Suck 24 High O's, enlisted term for high-ranking officers. Usually means O5 or above.
2. More widely: having a high position or status; senior, important.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > [adjective] > of high or great importance
worthlyeOE
mickleeOE
greatc1225
right hand?c1225
solemna1387
materialc1475
superior1526
grand1542
weighty1558
main1581
pregnant1591
pregnate1598
materious1611
moliminous1642
momentous1656
magic1696
all-important1748
big1748
eventful1756
colossal1775
bread and butter1822
bada1825
key1832
all-absorbing1834
earth-moving?1834
earth-shaking1835
earth-shatteringa1859
high-ranking1874
beaucoup1917
major league1951
earth-stopping1956
crucial1957
1874 Boston Daily Advertiser 3 Aug. 1/3 A more complete collection of high-ranking artists has not been made and is not likely to be made at any miscellaneous concert of this season.
1936 Time 13 Jan. 26 To this dinner come high ranking members of both political parties in the Senate and House of Representatives.
1978 Nature 7 Dec. 613/1 The accessory display signal possessed by high ranking males is usually some form of distinctive coloration.
2008 Vanity Fair May 281/3 He was a well-regarded member of society and a high-ranking lawyer.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2014; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1850