LIEUTENANT • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Lieutenant

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/lutˈɛnənt/ Listen

noun

Lieutenant n.

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."

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.)

See images of 'Lieutenant'

Etymology of 'Lieutenant'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Lieutenant" Quotes from Famous Books

... There was an agreement that I should settle all my Amelia's fortune on her, except a certain sum, which was to be laid out in my advancement in the army, and shortly afterwards I was preferred to the rank of a lieutenant in my regiment, and ordered to Gibraltar. I noticed that Amelia's sister, Miss Betty, who had said many ill-natured things of our marriage, now again became ...

— The World's Greatest Books, Vol IV. • Editors: Arthur Mee and J.A. Hammerton

... made in 1864, at the time he commissioned Ulysses S. Grant Lieutenant-General and Commander of all the armies of the Republic. It is said that this negative, with one of General Grant, was made in commemoration of ...

— Abraham Lincoln, Vol. I. • John T. Morse

... once took the command of the post upon himself, and dispatched Hobomok and two of the settlers who came to place themselves under his orders, to bring in all of the others whom they could reach, sending word that he would feed them. Many of them, including Sanders' lieutenant named Manning, came at the summons, and before night all who would were safe within the stockade, and were served each man with a pint of shelled corn, all that could be spared, for it was taken from the Pilgrims' ...

— Standish of Standish - A story of the Pilgrims • Jane G. Austin

... spite of the danger of their situation they could not help observing the man. He was tall, and well formed, and unmistakably a military character. He appeared to be above the general type of captain or lieutenant. ...

— The Khaki Boys Over the Top - Doing and Daring for Uncle Sam • Gordon Bates

... moment of setting out a curious incident occurred. Castelroux's company of dragoons had ridden into the courtyard as we were mounting. They lined up under their lieutenant's command, to allow us to pass; but as we reached the porte-cochere we were delayed for a moment by a travelling-carriage, entering for relays, and coming, apparently, from Toulouse. Castelroux and I backed our horses until we were in the midst of the dragoons, ...

— Bardelys the Magnificent • Rafael Sabatini

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