second lieutenant

noun

: a commissioned officer of the lowest rank in the army, air force, or marine corps

Examples of second lieutenant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Howard, who had served as a second lieutenant with the Ninety‑Second Division, 366th Infantry in France during World War I, accused President Truman of using the Cold War to justify a sweeping peacetime expansion of America’s global military footprint. Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026 At age 19, Woodhouse was a second lieutenant and assigned to the 332nd Fighter Group, also known as the Tuskegee Airmen. Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 15 Jan. 2026 This subject was taught to us as first-year Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets, as new second lieutenants at Officers Basic Course, and at every step of professional military education through war college. Kevin Carroll, Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2026 So, in May 2012, Braconi commissioned into the Marines as a second lieutenant with an aviation contract. Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for second lieutenant

Word History

First Known Use

1702, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of second lieutenant was in 1702

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Cite this Entry

“Second lieutenant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second%20lieutenant. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

second lieutenant

noun
: a military commissioned officer of the lowest rank

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