lieutenant

/luːˈtɛnənt/

nounlieu · ten · ant

Think: a LOO (lu-) TEN ants (-tenant) march in formation—LOO-TEN-ANT.

Yes, it's lieutenant. The tricky part is the middle: it’s spelled **-tenant** (like “tenant”), even though it’s often pronounced “-ten-.”

Definitions

  1. nounA military or naval officer who ranks below a captain and above a second lieutenant or warrant officer (rank varies by branch and country).
  2. nounA deputy or substitute who acts for a superior; an assistant in charge of a specific area (e.g., a police lieutenant).

Examples

  • The lieutenant briefed the team before the early-morning patrol.
  • After five years on the force, she was promoted to lieutenant in the precinct.
  • The ship’s lieutenant checked the navigation plan and signed the logbook.

Synonyms

officerdeputysecond-in-commandassistantsubordinate officer

Antonyms

civiliansuperior

Translations

ES tenientePT tenenteFR lieutenant

Common misspellings

lieutenentlieutennantleutenantlieutenatlieutenentantlieutentantlieutenannt

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