lieutenant general

American

noun

U.S. Military.

a commissioned officer ranking next below a general and next above a major general.

lieutenant general British

noun

an officer holding commissioned rank in certain armies, air forces, and marine corps immediately junior to a general

"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 general

First recorded in 1480–90

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.

But unless you’re a space buff, you probably haven’t heard of Samuel C. Phillips, the Air Force lieutenant general who directed the Apollo program for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration starting in 1964.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

"Field Marshal Asim Munir has become the most powerful man in Pakistan," said defence analyst Naeem Khalid Lodhi, a retired lieutenant general.

From Barron's • Nov. 14, 2025

The retired lieutenant general presented Trump with a plan to end the conflict between Ukraine and Russia in June, per a report from Reuters.

From Salon • Nov. 28, 2024

A West Point graduate, Hoover rose to the rank of three-star lieutenant general in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 23, 2024

On his shoulders he has pinned shoulder boards bearing the three stars of a lieutenant general.

From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly

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