lieutenant

[ loo-ten-uhnt; in British use, except in the navy, lef-ten-uhnt ]

/ luˈtɛn ənt; in British use, except in the navy, lɛfˈtɛn ənt /

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noun

Military.

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

a person who holds an office, civil or military, in subordination to a superior for whom he or she acts: If he can't attend, he will send his lieutenant.

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showing self-respect

treating others with kindness

acting selfishly

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Origin of lieutenant

1325–75; Middle English <Middle French, noun use of adj. phrase lieu tenant place-holding. See locum tenens, lieu, tenant

OTHER WORDS FROM lieutenant

un·der·lieu·ten·ant, noun

Words nearby lieutenant

lie up, Lieut., Lieut. Col., Lieut. Comdr., lieutenancy, lieutenant, lieutenant colonel, lieutenant commander, lieutenant general, lieutenant governor, lieutenant junior grade

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use lieutenant in a sentence

The allegations detailed by her and two other detainees in that filing also involved a lieutenant who detainees said was promoted even after women complained.
ICE Deported a Woman Who Accused Guards of Sexual Assault While the Feds Were Still Investigating the Incident|by Lomi Kriel|September 15, 2020|ProPublica
Giannandrea does not have a clear top lieutenant, so if he were to depart Apple, it’s unclear who would replace him or if Apple would fold the unit back into the Software Engineering department.
Apple’s leadership evolves ahead of a post-Tim Cook era|radmarya|September 12, 2020|Fortune
Afterward, Mallott’s emergency replacement as lieutenant governor, Davidson, gave the keynote address.
The Woman Propositioned by Alaska’s Former Lieutenant Governor Tells Her Story for the First Time|by Kyle Hopkins and Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News|September 10, 2020|ProPublica
Maybe, she thought, the governor and lieutenant governor planned to offer her a job within state government.
The Woman Propositioned by Alaska’s Former Lieutenant Governor Tells Her Story for the First Time|by Kyle Hopkins and Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News|September 10, 2020|ProPublica

As lieutenant governor, Mallott still lived in Juneau and had long used the luxury hotel for extended stays and as a second office while in Anchorage, friends said.
The Woman Propositioned by Alaska’s Former Lieutenant Governor Tells Her Story for the First Time|by Kyle Hopkins and Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News|September 10, 2020|ProPublica
He was a young Army Air Force lieutenant whose plane crashed in the Pacific in May 1943.
Dick Cheney vs. ‘Unbroken’|Mike Barnicle|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Neary had held the rank of lieutenant since 1983 and received multiple commendations during nearly four decades on the job.
The Mystery Death Of A Female Firefighter|Christopher Moraff|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Why has Michael Bloomberg replaced his longtime lieutenant with the editor-in-chief of The Economist?
Inside Bloomberg News’ Shock Shake-Up|Lloyd Grove|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 2010, he finished second with 39 percent in the race for lieutenant governor.
How to Run a Statewide Campaign on $38|Michael Ames|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He ran on a serious one-issue platform: eliminate the office of lieutenant governor.
How to Run a Statewide Campaign on $38|Michael Ames|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the end of the campaign the Emperor justly rewarded his lieutenant by creating him Prince of Wagram.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
He was a member of the first provincial congress, and eighteen years lieutenant governor of the state of New York.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
The tailor of the fairy tale with his "seven at a blow" is not in it with the gunnery Lieutenant of a battleship.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
The Lieutenant rode off highly elated over the fact that Colonel Guitar agreed with his views.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
"I guess that is straight enough for Guitar to believe, instead of that upstart lieutenant," said Harry.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn

British Dictionary definitions for lieutenant

lieutenant

/ (lɛfˈtɛnənt, US luːˈtɛnənt) /

noun

a military officer holding commissioned rank immediately junior to a captain

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

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

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

Derived forms of lieutenant

lieutenancy, noun

Word Origin for lieutenant

C14: from Old French, literally: place-holding

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

lieutenant

Origin of lieutenant

OTHER WORDS FROM lieutenant

Words nearby lieutenant

Words related to lieutenant

How to use lieutenant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lieutenant

Derived forms of lieutenant

Word Origin for lieutenant