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lieutenant colonel
noun
: a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps ranking above a major and below a colonel
Examples of lieutenant colonel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some lieutenant colonel from troop services with a mustache came by in an old Soviet car to welcome them.
—Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024
Most notably, George Armstrong Custer was a brevet (acting) major general in the Civil War and reverted to captain after the war before eventually being promoted to lieutenant colonel.
—Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, 10 Sep. 2024
Blackmer, who earned her undergraduate degree in naval architecture and marine engineering from the University of Michigan, spent 20 years in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and rose to become a lieutenant colonel before retiring in 2019.
—Tim Casey, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
The next day the mustachioed lieutenant colonel returned and found Ivan and his fellow ‘‘rogue’’ officers.
—Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lieutenant colonel
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lieutenant colonel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1598, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of lieutenant colonel was
in 1598
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Dictionary Entries Near lieutenant colonel
Cite this Entry
“Lieutenant colonel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lieutenant%20colonel. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Kids Definition
lieutenant colonel
noun
: a military commissioned officer with a rank just below that of colonel
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