lieutenant commander

Save This Word!

noun U.S. Navy.

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

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of lieutenant commander

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

Words nearby lieutenant commander

Lieut. Col., Lieut. Comdr., lieutenancy, lieutenant, lieutenant colonel, lieutenant commander, lieutenant general, lieutenant governor, lieutenant junior grade, lieve, Lièvre

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lieutenant commander in a sentence

For another, the governor has a gold-plated resume that includes legislative experience from a stint in Congress, degrees from Yale University and Harvard Law School, and even military service as a former lieutenant commander in the Navy.
Desperate, Deranged DeSantis Devolves Into Dumb Troll|Ruben Navarrette Jr.|November 5, 2021|The Daily Beast
Smith, a lieutenant commander, is playing SEC football 11 years after he walked on at Notre Dame.
A 32-year-old Naval officer had some free time, so he walked on to Vanderbilt’s football team|Steven Godfrey|September 9, 2021|Washington Post
Qasem Suleimani was appointed as commander of the force in 1997.
What an Iranian Funeral Tells Us About the Wars in Iraq|IranWire|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“He was a brave field commander and an expert in intelligence, and in organizing popular and tribal forces,” said the eulogist.
What an Iranian Funeral Tells Us About the Wars in Iraq|IranWire|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Zaim Ali, a Peshmerga commander, said: “We have established a military plan to clear ISIS from all of areas.”
Iraqi Kurds Get Their Groove Back, End Siege of Mount Sinjar|Jamie Dettmer|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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
More soldiers crowded into the cave and Professor-Commander Krafft came in behind them.
Sense of Obligation|Henry Maxwell Dempsey (AKA Harry Harrison)
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
By the end of the campaign of 1796 he had proved that he was as great a chief of the staff as Bonaparte was a great commander.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
The commander of this fleet was an Englishman, according to the agreement between them.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
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

British Dictionary definitions for lieutenant commander

lieutenant commander

noun

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

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