second lieutenant

American  

noun

U.S. Military.

1. an Army, Air Force, or Marine officer of the lowest commissioned rank.

---

second lieutenant British  

noun

1. an officer holding the lowest commissioned rank in the armed forces of certain nations

---

Etymology

Origin of second lieutenant

First recorded in 1695–1705

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

second lieutenant

Between shows and dances, she wrote letters to her older brother, Gene M. Hirsch, a second lieutenant in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2025

Mr Smith joined the US Marine Corps as a second lieutenant after graduating from Yale University.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2025

He graduated in 1954 and joined the army as a second lieutenant in the medical corps, spending two years stationed at Fort Meade in Maryland and at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

From New York Times ● Jan. 24, 2024

Ms. Oliver was the second lieutenant governor in New Jersey after the post was created in 2010.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 1, 2023

Captain Ty Hill graduated from Valley Forge Military College and earned the rank of second lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore