lieutenant

American  

[loo-ten-uhnt, lef-ten-uhnt] / luˈtɛn ənt, lɛfˈtɛn ənt /

noun

1. Military.

   1. first lieutenant.

   2. second lieutenant.

2. U.S. Navy. a commissioned officer ranking between lieutenant junior grade and lieutenant commander.

3. a person who holds an office, civil or military, in subordination to a superior they act for.

   If he can't attend, he will send his lieutenant.

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lieutenant British  

/ luːˈtɛnənt, lɛfˈtɛnənt /

noun

1. a military officer holding commissioned rank immediately junior to a captain

2. a naval officer holding commissioned rank immediately junior to a lieutenant commander

3. an officer in a police or fire department ranking immediately junior to a captain

4. a person who holds an office in subordination to or in place of a superior

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Other Word Forms

• lieutenancy noun
• underlieutenant noun

Etymology

Origin of lieutenant

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English from Middle French, noun use of adjective phrase lieu tenant “place-holding”; locum tenens, lieu, tenant

Example Sentences

David, whose name I’ve changed because he is still serving, is a lieutenant colonel and physician in the Army Reserve.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

In order to find his brother’s killer, Igor joins the police, where, as a “combat veteran, a scout, with an excellent legal and physical training,” he’s immediately given a badge and the rank of lieutenant.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

Future Sark was launched with a presentation at Island Hall, which was attended by the lieutenant governor of Guernsey and an estimated 100 islanders.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

Known as the Crab, because he was born with an extra finger, the hulking Rodriguez Castro is a lieutenant colonel in the island’s interior ministry in charge of his grandfather’s security detail.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026

But when the lieutenant interrupts I have to go back.

From "The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle" by Leslie Connor