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

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

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

From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand

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