first lieutenant

noun

1
: a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps ranking above a second lieutenant and below a captain
2
: a naval officer responsible for a ship's upkeep

Examples of first lieutenant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Trump pardoned Kelsey on March 11. 09 of 24 Mark Bashaw Trump fully pardoned Mark Bashaw, a former first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, on May 28. Caroline Blair, People.com, 29 May 2025 In 1931, Custis' daughter Mary married Robert E. Lee, then a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 27 May 2025 In the Army from 1956 to 1959, Mr. Johnston became a first lieutenant with the Judge Advocate General’s Corps in Germany. Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025 Tennyson, who was from Wichita, Kansas, was a 24-year-old first lieutenant in the United States Army when he was killed during World War II. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for first lieutenant

Word History

First Known Use

1697, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of first lieutenant was in 1697

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Cite this Entry

“First lieutenant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20lieutenant. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

first lieutenant

noun
: a military commissioned officer with a rank just below that of captain

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