first lieutenant

noun

1
: a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps ranking above a second lieutenant and below a captain
2
: a naval officer responsible for a ship's upkeep

Examples of first lieutenant in a Sentence

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.
In 1942, at age 28, Elzie joined the Army and rose to the rank of first lieutenant. Mike Klingaman, Baltimore Sun, 30 Jan. 2025 That June, Yardley was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the Signal Officers’ Reserve Corps. Peter Zablocki, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Feb. 2025 Driscoll served in the Army as a cavalry scout platoon leader, leaving after less than four years of service with the rank of first lieutenant. Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 1 Feb. 2025 McDevitt joined the Army in 1917 to be an airman, but was commissioned a first lieutenant in the 11th Balloon Company. Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 27 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for first lieutenant 

Word History

First Known Use

1697, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of first lieutenant was in 1697

Dictionary Entries Near first lieutenant

Cite this Entry

“First lieutenant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20lieutenant. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

first lieutenant

noun
: a military commissioned officer with a rank just below that of captain

More from Merriam-Webster on first lieutenant

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