Definition of lieutenant Lieutenant

/lutɛˈnʌnt/ - [lutenunt] - lieu•ten•ant

We found 22 definitions of lieutenant from 9 different sources.

What does lieutenant mean?

WordNet

Noun Plural: lieutenants
lieutenant - a commissioned military officer
		commissioned military officer a commissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marine Corps
		armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker"
		1st lieutenant, first lieutenant a commissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marines ranking above a 2nd lieutenant and below a captain
		2nd lieutenant, second lieutenant a commissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marine Corps holding the lowest rank
lieutenant - an officer holding a commissioned rank in the United States Navy or the United States Coast Guard; below lieutenant commander and above lieutenant junior grade
		commissioned naval officer a commissioned officer in the navy
		armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker"
lieutenant - an officer in a police force
		police lieutenant
		law officer, lawman, peace officer an officer of the law
lieutenant - an assistant with power to act when his superior is absent
		deputy
		assistant, helper, help, supporter a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose; "my invaluable assistant"; "they hired additional help to finish the work"
		second-in-command someone who relieves a commander
		vicar-general (Roman Catholic Church) an administrative deputy who assists a bishop

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Wiktionary

lieutenant (Noun)
The lowest commissioned officer rank or ranks in many military forces.
lieutenant (Noun)
In the US Army, Air Force and Marines, second lieutenant is the rank below first lieutenant , which is below captain. Both ranks may be referred to as Lieutenant or as the complete forms of the ranks.
lieutenant (Noun)
A naval officer whose rank is above that of ensign in the United States Navy and below that of a lieutenant commander . There are two ranks of lieutenant: lieutenant junior grade and lieutenant.
lieutenant (Noun)
A commissioned officer in the United States Coast Guard, Public Health Service, or National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration whose rank is above that of ensign and below lieutenant commander . There are two ranks of lieutenant: lieutenant junior grade and lieutenant.
lieutenant (Noun)
A naval officer in the Royal Navy who holds the rank above sub-lieutenant and below lieutenant commander .
lieutenant (Noun)
A naval officer who holds the rank above sub-lieutenant and below lieutenant commander .
lieutenant (Noun)
A person who executes the plans and directives of another.
lieutenant (Adjective)
A military grade that is junior to the grade the adjective modifies: lieutenant colonel , lieutenant general , lieutenant commander .

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

lieutenant (n.)
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.
lieutenant (n.)
A commissioned officer in the army, next below a captain.
lieutenant (n.)
A commissioned officer in the British navy, in rank next below a commander.
lieutenant (n.)
A commissioned officer in the United States navy, in rank next below a lieutenant commander.

Chambers DictionaryChamber's 20th Century Dictionary 📕

lieutenant
lef-ten′ant, n. one representing or performing the work of another: an officer holding the place of another in his absence: a commissioned officer in the army next below a captain, or in the navy next below a commander and ranking with captain in the army: one holding a place next in rank to a superior, as in the compounds Lieuten′ant-col′onel, Lieuten′ant-gen′eral.—ns. Lieuten′ancy, Lieuten′antship, office or commission of a lieutenant: the body of lieutenants; Lieuten′ant-gov′ernor, in India, the name of the chief official in the provinces of Bengal, Behar, and Orissa, the North-western Provinces, and Oudh, Punjab, and Delhi; Lieuten′ant-gov′ernorship; Lieuten′antry (Shak.), lieutenancy; Lord′-lieuten′ant, the title of the viceroy of Ireland: in the British Isles, a permanent governor of a county appointed by the sovereign, usually a peer or other large land-owner, at the head of the magistracy and the chief executive authority; Sub′-lieuten′ant, formerly mate or passed midshipman, now the intermediate rank in the navy between midshipman and lieutenant.—Field-marshal lieutenant (see Field-marshal). [Fr.; cf. Lieu and Tenant.]

Marine DictionaryUniversal Dictionary of the Marine ⚓️

lieutenant
of a ship of war, the officer next in rank and power to the captain, in whose absence he is accordingly charged with the command of the ship; as also the execution of whatever orders he may have received from the commander relating to the king’s service.
The lieutenant, who commands the watch at sea, keeps a list of all the officers and men thereto belonging, in order to muster them, when he judges it expedient, and report to the captain the names of those who are absent from their duty. During the night-watch, he occasionally visits the lower decks, or sends thither a careful officer, to see that the proper centinels are at their duty, and that there is no disorder amongst the men; no tobacco smoaked between decks, nor any fire or candles burning there, except the lights which are in lanthorns, under the care of a proper watch, on particular occasions. He is expected to be always upon deck in his watch, as well to give the necessary orders, with regard to trimming the sails and superintending the navigation, as to prevent any noise or confusion; but he is never to change the ship’s course without the captain’s directions, unless to avoid an immediate danger.
The lieutenant, in time of battle, is particularly to see that all the men are present at their quarters, where they have been previously stationed according to the regulations made by the captain. He orders and exhorts them every where to perform their duty, and acquaints the captain at all other times of the misbehaviour of any persons in the ship, and of whatever else concerns the service or discipline.
The youngest lieutenant of the ship, who is also stiled lieutenant at arms, besides his common duty, is particularly ordered, by his instructions, to train the seamen to the use of small arms, and frequently to exercise and discipline them therein. Accordingly his office, in time of battle, is chiefly to direct and attend them, and at all other times to have a due regard to the preservation of the small arms, that they be not lost or embezzled, and that they are kept clean and in good condition for service.

Sailor's Word-BookThe Sailor's Word-Book ⛵

lieutenant
The officer next in rank and power below the commander. There are several lieutenants in a large ship, and they take precedence according to the dates of their commissions. The senior lieutenant, during the absence of the commander, is charged with the command of the ship, as also with the execution of whatever orders he may have received from the commander relating to the queen's service; holding another's place, as the name implies in French.--Lieutenant in the army. The subaltern officer next in rank below the captain.

Military DictionaryMilitary Dictionary and Gazetteer 💥

lieutenant
From the French, lieu tenant, “holding the place,” in a general sense is an officer performing the duties of his superior. The rank was abolished by Charles IX. in the French army, and re-established by Henry IV. In company organizations the lieutenant comes next after the captain, and supplies his place during temporary absence. There are two grades of lieutenants, first and second. A lieutenant in the navy is an officer ranking with a captain in the army, holding rank above a master and below a lieutenant-commander.