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 of lieutenant

• 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

Magyar recently claimed that several of Orbán’s top lieutenants are rushing to send their assets abroad, perhaps to avoid financial or legal sanctions, and that others have been shredding incriminating documents. —Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 9 May 2026

Now Dave Smith, a retired lieutenant with the Arizona Department of Public Safety and a law enforcement consultant, is sharing his thoughts about whether Mexico is a possibility and what else could have happened to Guthrie. —Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 8 May 2026

This was Boston’s first opening-round exit since 2021 (and only its second since 2016), so Stevens and his lieutenants will have more time than usual to plot their next moves. —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026

The palace notes that the royal family's network of sponsors, which include lord lieutenants, societies and associations, government departments, local governments, and more, are used to nominate guests for invitations. —Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC News, 8 May 2026

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.