lieutenant

noun

lieu·​ten·​ant lü-ˈte-nənt How to pronounce lieutenant (audio)
British le(f)-
Synonyms of lieutenantnext
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
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

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Last month, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton and lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Gloria Romero issued a similar letter urging the UC Board of Regents to reinstate the SAT as part of UC admissions criteria. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 22 Aug. 2026 Throw in the departure of Jason Tindall, Howe’s lieutenant and s***-house-in-chief, and things are going to look and feel very different. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026 Role in the Castellammarese War When the Castellammarese War broke out in 1930 between Maranzano and rival crime boss Giuseppe (Joe) Masseria, Bonanno emerged as one of Maranzano’s leading lieutenants. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Aug. 2026 Those charged include a former sergeant, a former senior officer and a former lieutenant, as well as two current officers and one civilian employee, all of whom were assigned to the city’s 5th District. — Ben Conarck, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lieutenant

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of lieutenant was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing lieutenant

Rhymes for lieutenant

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Browse Nearby Words

lieutenancy
lieutenant
lieutenant colonel
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Cite this Entry

“Lieutenant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lieutenant. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

lieutenant

noun
lieu·​ten·​ant lü-ˈten-ənt How to pronounce lieutenant (audio)
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.

More from Merriam-Webster on lieutenant

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lieutenant

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