lieutenant

noun

lieu·​ten·​ant lü-ˈte-nənt 

 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

a(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

Synonyms

• assistant
• adjutant
• aide
• deputy
• apprentice
• aid

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

Spencer Fomby, a former police lieutenant with crowd safety expertise, emphasized the danger in transitioning from a seated event to a standing room on an open field, especially without a system, infrastructure or staff in place to ensure safety and orderliness. —Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2025

In order to reach him, messages had to be relayed by his lieutenants, who went on twice-weekly walks with him. —Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025

Part of the Arlington team’s training also included being able to recognize patients with religious beliefs that prohibit receiving blood transfusions, like Jehovah’s Witnesses, said EMS lieutenant Jason Adams. —Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2025

The teens sprang to action before two lifeguards from the neighboring Aliso Beach tower and a Marine Safety lieutenant arrived. —Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 18 Oct. 2025

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

Phrases Containing lieutenant

• first lieutenant
• flight lieutenant
• lieutenant colonel
• lieutenant commander
• lieutenant general
• lieutenant governor
• lieutenant junior grade
• second lieutenant

Rhymes for lieutenant

• cotenant
• subtenant
• pennant
• tenant

Kids Definition

lieutenant

noun

lieu·​ten·​ant lü-ˈten-ənt 

1

: an official who acts for a higher official

2

a

: first lieutenant

b

: second lieutenant

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.