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
Fifteen defendants have been sentenced in a domestic terrorism case tied to a July 4, 2025, protest at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in North Texas, where an Alvarado police lieutenant was shot and wounded.
—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 July 2026
Five, including the company owner and a former Yolo County sheriff’s lieutenant, have been charged with murder.
—
Alula Alderson,
Sacbee.com,
2 July 2026
Polo will play the role of Margaret, Beau’s lieutenant in his cult operation, and who also connects to Jamie’s plight.
—
Anthony D'alessandro,
Deadline,
2 July 2026
Beleaguered manager Kurt Suzuki will stay on through the duration of his one-year contract, and all of former GM Perry Minasian’s top lieutenants, each of whom attended the press conference, will stay on.
—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for lieutenant
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show current usage.
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Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 July 2026
Five, including the company owner and a former Yolo County sheriff’s lieutenant, have been charged with murder.
—
Alula Alderson,
Sacbee.com,
2 July 2026
Polo will play the role of Margaret, Beau’s lieutenant in his cult operation, and who also connects to Jamie’s plight.
—
Anthony D'alessandro,
Deadline,
2 July 2026
Beleaguered manager Kurt Suzuki will stay on through the duration of his one-year contract, and all of former GM Perry Minasian’s top lieutenants, each of whom attended the press conference, will stay on.
—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for lieutenant
Cite this Entry
“Lieutenant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lieutenant. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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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