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

In 1915, Canadian doctor Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote his famous war poem, In Flanders Fields, following the devastation he witnessed on battlefields in Ypres, Belgium.

From BBC

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

From Los Angeles Times

Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Mercer, who was the army’s top lawyer during the invasion of Iraq, told the BBC the change raised serious questions about the bill’s intent.

From BBC

His great-nephew, Lieutenant Colonel Julian Anderson, watched as his wooden coffin was gently lowered into a freshly dug grave - stunned to discover his great-uncle’s body had lain undetected for decades nearby.

From BBC