second lieutenant

American  

noun

U.S. Military.

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

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second lieutenant British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of second lieutenant

First recorded in 1695–1705

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

second lieutenant

The Duke served with the armed forces for more than 21 years, starting his career as a second lieutenant with the Royal Scots Greys and retiring in 1976 as a lieutenant-colonel.

From BBC ● Apr. 14, 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

Kanamine served in the Naval Reserves and eventually left Nebraska to serve as second lieutenant in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2023

I wanted to stay at Valley Forge and attend its junior college, which would allow me to go through the early commissioning process, receive my associate’s degree, and become a second lieutenant in the Army.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore