English Explanatory Dictionary

lieutenant

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The lowest junior commissioned officer rank(s) in many military forces, often Army and Marines.
  2. In the US Army, Air Force and Marines, holding the rank above second lieutenant and below captain. Both ranks may be referred to as "lieutenant" or as the complete forms of the ranks.
  3. A naval officer whose rank is above that of ensign in the United States Navy and below that of a lieutenant commander. There are two ranks of lieutenant: lieutenant junior grade and lieutenant.
  4. A commissioned officer in the United States Coast Guard, Public Health Service, or National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration whose rank is above that of ensign and below lieutenant commander. There are two ranks of lieutenant: lieutenant junior grade and lieutenant.
  5. A commissioned officer in the British Army and Royal Marines, holding the rank above second lieutenant and below captain. Both ranks may be referred to as "lieutenant"; however, "second lieutenant" is to specify that the officer is not yet a full lieutenant.
  6. A naval officer whose rank is above that of sub-lieutenant in the Royal Navy and below that of a lieutenant commander.
  7. A naval commissioned officer who holds the rank above sub-lieutenant and below lieutenant commander.
  8. A person who manages or executes the plans and directives of another, more senior person; a manager to their director.
  9. The second-in-command (2IC) of a group.
adj
  1. A military grade that is junior to the grade the adjective modifies: lieutenant colonel, lieutenant general, lieutenant commander.
noun
  1. Alternative letter-case form of lieutenant (when used as a title before a name)

Pronunciation

/lɛfˈtɛn.ənt/ /ləfˈtɛn.ənt/ en-uk-lieutenant.ogg en-au-lieutenant.ogg /l(j)uˈtɛn.ənt/ en-us-lieutenant.ogg En-lieutenant.oga En-ca-lieutenant (loo-ten-ant).ogg En-ca-lieutenant (lef-ten-ant).ogg /ˈlɛf.ʈə.nənʈ/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-सौम्य-Lieutenant.wav

Word forms

lieutenant lieutenants leftenant leftenaunt lieftenant lieftenaunt lieutenaunt

Etymology

From Middle English lieutenant, lieftenaunt, from Anglo-Norman lieutenant, lyutenaunt, leu tenant, leu tenaunt (“deputy, lieutenant”), from Old French lieu (“place”) + tenant (“holder”). Doublet of locum tenens.

Synonyms

Lt. LT lieut Lieut.

Related words

subaltern

Derived words

brevet lieutenant captain lieutenant corvette lieutenant desk lieutenant fifth lieutenant first lieutenant flag lieutenant flight lieutenant fourth lieutenant frigate lieutenant junior lieutenant lieutenant admiral lieutenant-admiral lieutenant captain lieutenant colonel lieutenant-colonel lieutenant-colonelcy lieutenant commander lieutenantess lieutenant general lieutenant governor lieutenant-governor lieutenant junior grade lieutenant marshal lieutenantry lieutenant senior grade lieutenantship police lieutenant second lieutenant senior lieutenant shift lieutenant ship of the line lieutenant staff lieutenant sublieutenant third lieutenant underlieutenant

Translations

Afrikaans: luitenant Albanian: toger Arabic: مُلَازِم Armenian: լեյտենանտ Belarusian: лейтэна́нт Bulgarian: лейтена́нт Burmese: ဗိုလ် Catalan: tinent Catalan: lloctinent Chinese Mandarin: 中尉 Chinese Mandarin: 陸軍中尉 /陆军中尉 Czech: poručík Danish: løjtnant Dutch: luitenant Esperanto: leŭtenanto Estonian: leitnant Finnish: luutnantti French: lieutenant French: lieutenante Galician: tenente Georgian: ლეიტენანტი German: Leutnant German: Leutnantin Greek: υπολοχαγός Greek: υποπλοίαρχος Greek: υποσμηναγός Greek: ανθυπολοχαγός Greek: ανθυποπλοίαρχος Greek: ανθυποσμηναγός Hindi: लेफ़्टिनेंट Hungarian: hadnagy Indonesian: letnan Irish: leifteanant Italian: tenente Japanese: 中尉 Japanese: 少尉 Japanese: 海軍大尉 Khmer: អនុនាវីទោ Korean: 중위 Lao: ຮ້ອຍໂທ Macedonian: поручник Malay: leftenan Māori: rūtene Norwegian Bokmål: løytnant Norwegian Nynorsk: løytnant Persian: ستوان Polish: porucznik Portuguese: tenente Romanian: locotenent Romansh: litinent Romansh: tenent Russian: лейтена́нт Russian: пору́чик Russian: по́ру́чник
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