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.

See Examples For:

second lieutenant

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

He was quickly promoted to junior officer and then second lieutenant, at a time when the US army was desperate for soldiers.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2024

Gen. Smith was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1987.

From Washington Times ● May 31, 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

In August 1942, Louie, graduated from Midland, was commissioned a second lieutenant.

From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand

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