lieutenant

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See also: Lieutenant

English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle French lieutenant, from lieu (“place”) + tenant (“holding”). Doublet of locum tenens.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

lieutenant (plural lieutenants)

  1. (military) The lowest Junior Commissioned Officer rank(s) in many military forces, often Army and Marines.
    1. (military, US) In the US Army, Air Force and Marines, holding the rank above Second Lieutenant and below Captain. Both ranks may be referred to as "Lieutenant" or as the complete forms of the ranks.
    2. (military, US, navy) 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.
    3. (military, US) 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.
    4. (military, UK) A Commissioned Officer in the British Army and Royal Marines, holding the rank above Second Lieutenant and below Captain. Both ranks may be referred to as "Lieutenant," however "Second Lieutenant" is to specify that the officer is not yet a full Lieutenant.
    5. (military, UK) A naval officer whose rank is above that of Sub-Lieutenant in the British Navy and below that of a Lieutenant Commander.
    6. (military, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) A naval Commissioned Officer who holds the rank above Sub-Lieutenant and below Lieutenant Commander.
  2. A person who manages or executes the plans and directives of another, more senior person - i.e. a manager to his director.
  3. The second-in-command (2IC) of a group.

Usage notes[edit]

When used as a title, it is always capitalised, and frequently abbreviated to Lt.

  • Example: Lieutenant Anne Ward.

The rank of lieutenant corresponds to pay grade O-3 in the US Navy, Coast Guard, Public Health Service, and National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration.

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

  • → Irish: leifteanant
  • → Swahili: luteni

Translations[edit]

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

See also[edit]

Adjective[edit]

lieutenant (not comparable)

  1. A military grade that is junior to the grade the adjective modifies: lieutenant colonel, lieutenant general, lieutenant commander.

Translations[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Only 14 to 19% of 14-year-olds used the traditional pronunciation IPA(key): /lɛfˈtɛnənt/ in a survey in 1972, and they are meanwhile (at the beginning of 2017) at least 57 years old: How do you pronounce Lieutenant Governor?, Toronto Star; July 6, 2014

French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From lieu +‎ tenant.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

lieutenant m (plural lieutenants, feminine lieutenante)

  1. lieutenant

Descendants[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Middle French[edit]

Noun[edit]

lieutenant m (plural lieutenants)

  1. lieutenant (person who executes the plans and directives of another)

Descendants[edit]

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