first lieutenant
Americannoun
noun
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the officer responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of a warship, esp the executive officer of a smaller ship in the Royal Navy
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an officer holding commissioned rank in the US Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, or in certain other forces, senior to a second lieutenant and junior to a captain
Etymology
Origin of first lieutenant
First recorded in 1775–85
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.
Shortly after My Lai, Calley was promoted to first lieutenant and went on to serve another 15 months in Vietnam.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2024
Mr. Romo was a strong supporter of the war when he arrived in Vietnam as a first lieutenant in the U.S.
From New York Times ● May 15, 2024
They include a letter from Marie Dubosc to her husband, the ship's first lieutenant, Louis Chambrelan.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2023
“I felt stupid the way I walk around and stumble,” said Kalfon, who led a medical aid unit as a first lieutenant in 1964-65.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 10, 2023
By June, William was a first lieutenant with the Army’s military intelligence unit.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.