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TAKE THE QUIZlieutenant general
noun
: a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps who ranks above a major general and whose insignia is three stars
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2012, a Russian Air Force lieutenant general suggested that Russia could deploy an uninhabited nuclear bomber by the 2040s.
—
Jeremy Hsu, Discover Magazine, 1 July 2017
The former lieutenant general Michael Flynn, briefly Trump’s national security adviser, had pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian ambassador to the US.
—Fintan O’toole, The New York Review of Books, 21 Dec. 2022
In March 1864, Lincoln appointed Grant to the rank of lieutenant general and ordered him to take on the Confederate Army in Virginia, a task at which numerous other Union leaders had failed.
—Anne Marshall, The Conversation, 5 Dec. 2022
The monument, located at a busy intersection in the city that once served as the capital of the Confederacy, honored Ambrose P. Hill, a Confederate lieutenant general.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Dec. 2022
Loretta Reynolds, a retired 3-star lieutenant general in the U.S. Marines Corps, became a director for U.S. Bancorp.
—Lila Maclellan, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2022
In addition to the mass shooting by a soldier in February 2020, a police lieutenant general opened fire in a military school in Bangkok last month, killing two people.
—Hannah Beech, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Oct. 2022
In a statement announcing his replacement as land forces commander, the Ugandan military said Kainerugaba had been promoted from lieutenant general to full general and would remain a senior presidential adviser for special operations.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN, 6 Oct. 2022
Donahue, who has since been promoted to lieutenant general, did not respond to a request for comment sent to Fort Bragg.
—Seth Harp, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2022
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Jeremy Hsu, Discover Magazine, 1 July 2017
The former lieutenant general Michael Flynn, briefly Trump’s national security adviser, had pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian ambassador to the US.
—Fintan O’toole, The New York Review of Books, 21 Dec. 2022
In March 1864, Lincoln appointed Grant to the rank of lieutenant general and ordered him to take on the Confederate Army in Virginia, a task at which numerous other Union leaders had failed.
—Anne Marshall, The Conversation, 5 Dec. 2022
The monument, located at a busy intersection in the city that once served as the capital of the Confederacy, honored Ambrose P. Hill, a Confederate lieutenant general.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Dec. 2022
Loretta Reynolds, a retired 3-star lieutenant general in the U.S. Marines Corps, became a director for U.S. Bancorp.
—Lila Maclellan, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2022
In addition to the mass shooting by a soldier in February 2020, a police lieutenant general opened fire in a military school in Bangkok last month, killing two people.
—Hannah Beech, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Oct. 2022
In a statement announcing his replacement as land forces commander, the Ugandan military said Kainerugaba had been promoted from lieutenant general to full general and would remain a senior presidential adviser for special operations.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN, 6 Oct. 2022
Donahue, who has since been promoted to lieutenant general, did not respond to a request for comment sent to Fort Bragg.
—Seth Harp, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2022
See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lieutenant general.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
First Known Use
1589, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of lieutenant general was
in 1589
Dictionary Entries Near lieutenant general
Cite this Entry
“Lieutenant general.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lieutenant%20general. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.
Kids Definition
lieutenant general
noun
: a military commissioned officer with a rank just below that of general
More from Merriam-Webster on lieutenant general
Nglish: Translation of lieutenant general for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lieutenant general
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