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
That was Eric DeCosta’s first year as general manager after serving for many seasons as Ozzie Newsome’s longtime lieutenant.
—
Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
The firefighters, engineers, paramedics and lieutenants were being represented in court by attorneys from their union, the International Association of Firefighters.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
That’s probably why Musk and DOGE lieutenants sat down for an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier on Thursday — to pitch their case directly to the public.
—Debra J. Saunders, Oc Register, 2 Apr. 2025
The hearing, led by Sen. Cindy Friedman, an Arlington Democrat and top lieutenant to Senate President Karen Spilka, was the latest chapter in the contentious battle between the Legislature and DiZoglio, a former state lawmaker who regularly battled with leaders in both chambers.
—Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lieutenant
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Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
The firefighters, engineers, paramedics and lieutenants were being represented in court by attorneys from their union, the International Association of Firefighters.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
That’s probably why Musk and DOGE lieutenants sat down for an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier on Thursday — to pitch their case directly to the public.
—Debra J. Saunders, Oc Register, 2 Apr. 2025
The hearing, led by Sen. Cindy Friedman, an Arlington Democrat and top lieutenant to Senate President Karen Spilka, was the latest chapter in the contentious battle between the Legislature and DiZoglio, a former state lawmaker who regularly battled with leaders in both chambers.
—Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald, 2 Apr. 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 23 Apr. 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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