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first lieutenant

American  

noun

Military.
  1. an officer ranking next above second lieutenant and next below a captain.


first lieutenant British  

noun

  1. the officer responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of a warship, esp the executive officer of a smaller ship in the Royal Navy

  2. an officer holding commissioned rank in the US Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, or in certain other forces, senior to a second lieutenant and junior to a captain

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of first lieutenant

First recorded in 1775–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

They include a letter from Marie Dubosc to her husband, the ship's first lieutenant, Louis Chambrelan.

From BBC Nov. 7, 2023

Al-Kinani identified himself as a police officer with the rank of first lieutenant in the video aired on state media in 2021.

From Washington Times May 7, 2023

Soon after graduating, he joined the Army and served in the Korean War as a first lieutenant.

From New York Times Apr. 20, 2023

It wasn’t just about hiring a new coach, though after eight years as Nick Saban’s first lieutenant with the Crimson Tide, Georgia alumnus Kirby Smart was the perfect person for the job.

From Seattle Times Nov. 3, 2022

By June, William was a first lieutenant with the Army’s military intelligence unit.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

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