lieutenant commander

American  

noun

U.S. Navy.

1. a commissioned officer ranking next below a commander and next above a lieutenant.

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lieutenant commander British  

noun

1. an officer holding commissioned rank in certain navies immediately junior to a commander

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Etymology

Origin of lieutenant commander

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

Example Sentences

Mark West, a retired lieutenant commander who ran beach planning for the special-operations force from 2009 to 2011, said the base dealt with sewage even then.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

McCain, who died of brain cancer in 2018, was a Navy lieutenant commander who was shot down during the Vietnam War in 1967.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 11, 2023

Before departing, Biden visited the John Sidney McCain III Memorial near the site where, as a 31-year-old Navy lieutenant commander, McCain’s Skyhawk dive bomber was shot down by the North Vietnamese.

From Washington Times • Sep. 11, 2023

A joint duty officer at Panmunjom must be a lieutenant commander with a master’s degree in East Asian studies and rigorous Korean language training.

From New York Times • Apr. 28, 2023

“He’s a lieutenant commander in the Navy,” Ginnie said.

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger