lieutenant
noun
British le(f)-\
Definition of lieutenant
1a : an official empowered to act for a higher official The king's lieutenant handled the problem.
b : an aide or representative of another in the performance of duty : assistant Her best lieutenant was working on the proposal.
2a(1) : first lieutenant
(2) : second lieutenant
b : a commissioned officer in the navy or coast guard ranking above a lieutenant junior grade and below a lieutenant commander
c : a fire or police department officer ranking below a captain
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms for lieutenant
Synonyms
adjunct, adjutant, aid, aide, apprentice, assistant, coadjutor, deputy, helper, helpmate, helpmeet, mate, sidekick
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of lieutenant in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When the little girl intervened to help her mom, the 40-year-old man punched the child, the lieutenant said. — Teri Figueroa, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Woman stabs alleged assailant, hides in brush with child until help comes," 13 July 2018 Police aren't sure what happened to the board, the police lieutenant said. — Samantha Ketterer, Houston Chronicle, "Police nab four suspects in burglary at north Houston car dealership," 11 July 2018 Leigh was one of four troopers who, with a Fairbanks police lieutenant, shot and killed a suspect in a Fairbanks pursuit in 2015. — Zaz Hollander, Anchorage Daily News, "Copper Center man fatally shot by trooper wielded ‘flammable liquid,’ officials say," 9 July 2018 The blaze, dubbed the Warnock fire, apparently was sparked by a lawn mower, the lieutenant says. — City News Service, Ramona Sentinel, "Lawnmower sparks half-acre brush fire," 28 June 2018 The suspects demanded money, then fled, the lieutenant said. — Stephen Ruiz, OrlandoSentinel.com, "5 people, including 1-year-old boy, uninjured during armed Orange home invasion," 15 June 2018 Sheriff's deputies arrested three alleged burglars Sundy in the unincorporated area of 4S Ranch, a lieutenant said. — City News Service, Rancho Bernardo, "Trio arrested in 4S Ranch for alleged burglaries," 28 May 2018 The caller was cooperating with the investigation, the lieutenant said. — Ashley Remkus, AL.com, "Coroner identifies victim of Huntsville mobile home park homicide," 30 Apr. 2018 In the Davis case, the former lieutenant says in the draft that his wife started an Instagram page in 2016. — Noelle Crombie, OregonLive.com, "New details emerge in case of former cop investigated for wife's porn site," 12 Feb. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lieutenant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for lieutenant
lieutenant
noun
English Language Learners Definition of lieutenant
: an officer in the army, navy, or air force with a fairly low rank
: an officer in a fire or police department who has a rank below a captain
: an assistant to another, more powerful person : a person who represents and works for someone else
See the full definition for lieutenant in the English Language Learners Dictionary
lieutenant
noun
\
Kids Definition of lieutenant
1 : an official who acts for a higher official
2 : first lieutenant
4 : a commissioned officer in the navy or coast guard ranking above a lieutenant junior grade
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on lieutenant
What made you want to look up lieutenant? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
A Thanksgiving Word Quiz
-
- November comes from a word for which of the following numbers?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
A Thanksgiving Word Quiz
We are thankful for obscure words.
Take the quiz -
Difficult Vocab Quiz
Another round of challenging vocab!
Take the quiz -
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Take the quiz -
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!
Play the game
Share lieutenant
Resources for lieutenant