post captain

A Royal Navy officer who had been formally appointed (“posted”) to the rank of captain, thereby acquiring permanent seniority as a captain. A post captain was eligible for promotion to admiral by seniority, whether or not he currently commanded a ship. By contrast, a captain (by courtesy), usually a commander temporarily given command of a larger vessel, did not have the permanent status of a post captain and did not acquire the same seniority or right to subsequent promotion.