lieutenant

noun

lieu·​ten·​ant lü-ˈte-nənt How to pronounce lieutenant (audio)
 British  le(f)-
1
a
: 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.
2
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

Examples of lieutenant in a Sentence

He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. She has her best lieutenants working on a proposal. one of the mobster's most loyal lieutenants
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The couple's pardon came amid a flurry of high-profile pardons from Trump, including those of a former Republican congressman, a Republican Connecticut governor, rapper NBA YoungBoy, a former Chicago gang leader, and an Army lieutenant who was convicted for flaunting COVID regulations. Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 First, all Cockneys were cheeky; all lieutenants posh but unblooded; and all sergeants, grizzled. Alexander Rose, Air Mail, 28 June 2025 Two lieutenants received suspensions that were later reduced, and one correction officer was dismissed but later had that dismissal reversed and was able to receive back pay. Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2025 Justices upheld a decision by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in the lawsuit filed by Karyn Stanley, a fire-department lieutenant who retired in 2018 at age 47 because of the effects of the disease. Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for lieutenant

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French lieu tenant, from liu + tenant holding, from tenir to hold, from Latin tenēre — more at thin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of lieutenant was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lieutenant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lieutenant. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

lieutenant

noun
lieu·​ten·​ant lü-ˈten-ənt How to pronounce lieutenant (audio)
1
: an official who acts for a higher official
2
c
: a naval commissioned officer with a rank just below that of lieutenant commander
d
: a fire or police department officer ranking below a captain
Etymology

Middle English lieutenant "lieutenant," from early French lieutenant (same meaning), literally, "one holding the place for another," from lieu "place, position" and tenant "holding"

Word Origin
The phrase in lieu of means the same thing as in place of or instead of. The word lieu came into English from early French, in which it meant "place, position, function." Another English word that came from early French is tenant. In early French, this word was an adjective meaning "holding." Joined together, these two words gave the early French word lieutenant. It originally meant "a person holding another person's place" or "a person acting in place of another." In English, lieutenant is best known as a military title, but the word is still sometimes used in its original meaning to refer to a person who acts in lieu of someone else.

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