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lieutenant commander

American

noun

U.S. Navy.

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

lieutenant commander British

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

Etymology

Origin of lieutenant commander

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

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.

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

He also served in the Korean War in the 1950s and reached the rank of lieutenant commander.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2024

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

Suddenly, the lieutenant commander was thrust into making frantic preparations, his retirement plans scuppered.

From New York Times • Apr. 28, 2023

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

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023