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.

The school’s new superintendent, Michael Borgschulte, an amiable lieutenant general with a Bronze Star and a pearly white set of teeth, steps onto the bandstand.

From Slate • Jun. 24, 2026

Army lieutenant general and former U.S. ambassador to NATO.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 18, 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

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