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
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
According to the Use of Force Policy, inmates must be checked every 15 minutes by correctional officers, every two hours by a lieutenant, and twice per 8-hour shift by medical staff.
—
Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Almeida, who won the Tour of Switzerland last month and finished fourth in last year’s Tour, is Pogačar’s chief lieutenant.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 11 July 2025
The central involvement of Vought, who is viewed as one of Trump’s most loyal, knowledgeable and deeply effective lieutenants, represents an escalation in and of itself.
—Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
In an expositional sense, his death at the end of Batman v Superman activates three Mother Boxes that attracts the villainous Darkseid’s scorned lieutenant, Steppenwolf, back to Earth.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for lieutenant
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Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Almeida, who won the Tour of Switzerland last month and finished fourth in last year’s Tour, is Pogačar’s chief lieutenant.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 11 July 2025
The central involvement of Vought, who is viewed as one of Trump’s most loyal, knowledgeable and deeply effective lieutenants, represents an escalation in and of itself.
—Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
In an expositional sense, his death at the end of Batman v Superman activates three Mother Boxes that attracts the villainous Darkseid’s scorned lieutenant, Steppenwolf, back to Earth.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for lieutenant
Cite this Entry
“Lieutenant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lieutenant. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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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