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)
(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
Synonyms
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
The lieutenant declined to name the surviving victim, who remained hospitalized in critical condition.
—
Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024
Here's why See how The Arizona Republic's voter turnout projection compared to reality Harris in Phoenix, Trump in the suburbs: Which Valley cities went for which candidate
Lappin is a lieutenant serving 19 years with the Pima County Sheriff's Department.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 15 Nov. 2024
The lieutenant also said investigators have taken statements from the dozens of witnesses who were in the area, and are also gathering video surveillance.
—Nbc San Diego, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Mohammed and two of his top lieutenants, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, have agreed to plead guilty to the murder of 2,976 people and other charges in exchange for taking the death penalty off the table.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 10 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lieutenant 
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Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024
Here's why See how The Arizona Republic's voter turnout projection compared to reality Harris in Phoenix, Trump in the suburbs: Which Valley cities went for which candidate
Lappin is a lieutenant serving 19 years with the Pima County Sheriff's Department.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 15 Nov. 2024
The lieutenant also said investigators have taken statements from the dozens of witnesses who were in the area, and are also gathering video surveillance.
—Nbc San Diego, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Mohammed and two of his top lieutenants, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, have agreed to plead guilty to the murder of 2,976 people and other charges in exchange for taking the death penalty off the table.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 10 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lieutenant
Articles Related to lieutenant
Dictionary Entries Near lieutenant
Cite this Entry
“Lieutenant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lieutenant. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lieutenant
noun
lieu·ten·ant
lü-ˈten-ənt
1
: an official who acts for a higher official
2
a
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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