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

Oliver has served as the state’s second lieutenant governor since 2018.

From Seattle 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

He graduated in May of 1964 as a second lieutenant, and they got married at our home church, Carver Memorial, in July 1965.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

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