LIEUTENANT

deputy, lieutenant

(noun) an assistant with power to act when his superior is absent

lieutenant, police lieutenant

(noun) an officer in a police force

lieutenant

(noun) a commissioned military officer

lieutenant

(noun) an officer holding a commissioned rank in the United States Navy or the United States Coast Guard; below lieutenant commander and above lieutenant junior grade

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Noun

Lieutenant (plural Lieutenants)

Alternative letter-case form of lieutenant (when used as a title before a name)

Etymology

Noun

lieutenant (plural lieutenants)

(military) The lowest Junior Commissioned Officer rank(s) in many military forces, often Army and Marines.

(military, US) 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.

(military, US, navy) 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.

(military, US) 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.

(military, UK) 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.

(military, UK) A naval officer whose rank is above that of Ensign in the British Navy and below that of a Lieutenant Commander.

(military, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) A naval Commissioned Officer who holds the rank above Sub-Lieutenant and below Lieutenant Commander.

A person who manages or executes the plans and directives of another, more senior person - i.e. a manager to his director.

The second-in-command (2IC) of a group.

Usage notes

When used as a title, it is always capitalised, and frequently abbreviated to Lt.

• Example: Lieutenant Anne Ward.

The rank of lieutenant corresponds to pay grade O-3 in the US Navy, Coast Guard, Public Health Service, and National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration.

The British pronunciation most likely comes from a misreading of the word as *lievtenant, with a v in place of the u, from before the two letters became distinct.

Synonyms

• (military): Lt, LT, LT, lieut, Lieut, lieut, Lieut (abbreviation)

Adjective

lieutenant (not comparable)

A military grade that is junior to the grade the adjective modifies: lieutenant colonel, lieutenant general, lieutenant commander.

Source: Wiktionary

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Lieu*ten"ant, n. Etym: [F., fr. lieu place + tenant holding, p. pr. of tenir to hold, L. tenere. See Lieu, and Tenant, and cf. Locum tenens.]

1. An officer who supplies the place of a superior in his absence; a representative of, or substitute for, another in the performance of any duty. The lawful magistrate, who is the vicegerent or lieutenant of God. Abp. Bramhall.

2. (a) A commissioned officer in the army, next below a captain. (b) A commissioned officer in the British navy, in rank next below a commander. (c) A commissioned officer in the United States navy, in rank next below a lieutenant commander.

Note: Lieutenant is often used, either adjectively or in hyphened compounds, to denote an officer, in rank next below another, especially when the duties of the higher officer may devolve upon the lower one; as, lieutenant general, or lieutenant-general; lieutenant colonel, or lieutenant-colonel; lieutenant governor, etc. Deputy lieutenant, the title of any one of the deputies or assistants of the lord lieutenant of a county. [Eng.] -- Lieutenant colonel, an army officer next in rank above major, and below colonel.

– Lieutenant commander, an officer in the United States navy, in rank next below a commander and next above a lieutenant.

– Lieutenant general. See in Vocabulary.

– Lieutenant governor. (a) An officer of a State, being next in rank to the governor, and in case of the death or resignation of the latter, himself acting as governor. [U. S.] (b) A deputy governor acting as the chief civil officer of one of several colonies under a governor general. [Eng.]

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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