lieutenant colonel

noun

, U.S. Military.

1. a commissioned officer ranking next below a colonel and next above a major.

lieutenant colonel

noun

1. an officer holding commissioned rank immediately junior to a colonel in certain armies, air forces, and marine corps

Word History and Origins

Origin of lieutenant colonel¹

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

Gabbard, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve who served in Iraq, has long been critical of foreign policy establishment.

From Salon

The pilot is Scott “Kidd” Poteet, 50, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel.

From Los Angeles Times

By war’s end, he was a lieutenant colonel, and he came back to L.A. persuaded that America needed to keep its peacetime ears on a wartime footing.

From Los Angeles Times

The pilot is Scott “Kidd” Poteet, 50, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who has logged 400 hours of combat flight time and has served as an executive at Shift4.

From Los Angeles Times

He retired from the Air Force with the rank of lieutenant colonel and went on to work as a test pilot.

From Seattle Times