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)

: first lieutenant

(2)

: second lieutenant

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

Synonyms

• adjunct
• adjutant
• aid
• aide
• apprentice
• assistant
• coadjutor
• deputy
• helper
• helpmate
• helpmeet
• mate
• sidekick

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

Elon Musk escalates feud with Trump: 'Time to drop the really big bomb' Among the other top DOGE employees to follow were Steve Davis, Musk's top lieutenant who oversaw DOGE's day-to-day operations, publicist Katie Miller and DOGE's top attorney James Burnham. —Joey Garrison, USA Today, 10 June 2025

Deschamps brought Rabiot’s two years of international exile to an end in September 2020 and the midfielder has since become one of his principal lieutenants, forming part of France’s first-choice XI at both the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024. —Tom Williams, New York Times, 9 June 2025

Previously deemed a frontrunner, Bennett has always been positioned as a strong candidate but has just got his feet under the table at BBC Studios, initiating a major restructure in the past few weeks and bringing in several new lieutenants. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 6 June 2025

As any outlet that covers Hollywood machinations knows, angry PR people working for top lieutenants call in a fury not only when their boss slips a rung on an executive power list but also when they are mentioned as a potential heir apparent. —Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French lieu tenant, from liu + tenant holding, from tenir to hold, from Latin tenēre — more at thin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing lieutenant

• first lieutenant
• flight lieutenant
• lieutenant colonel
• lieutenant commander
• lieutenant general
• lieutenant governor
• lieutenant junior grade
• second lieutenant

Rhymes for lieutenant

• cotenant
• subtenant
• pennant
• tenant

Kids Definition

lieutenant

noun

lieu·​ten·​ant lü-ˈten-ənt 

1

: an official who acts for a higher official

2

a

: first lieutenant

b

: second lieutenant

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.