second lieutenant

American

noun

U.S. Military.

an Army, Air Force, or Marine officer of the lowest commissioned rank.

second lieutenant British

noun

an officer holding the lowest commissioned rank in the armed forces of certain nations

"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 second lieutenant

First recorded in 1695–1705

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.

Between shows and dances, she wrote letters to her older brother, Gene M. Hirsch, a second lieutenant in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2025

Ms. Oliver was the second lieutenant governor in New Jersey after the post was created in 2010.

From Washington Times • Aug. 1, 2023

Mr Matthews was deployed to fight during the Vietnam War and he served in the military for 24 years as a second lieutenant.

From BBC • Jul. 4, 2023

Smith grew up in Plano, Texas, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1987 through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program at Texas A&M University.

From Seattle Times • May 31, 2023

Beside me, Dex is arguing with Hel’s second lieutenant, Tristas.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

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