lieutenant

/lɛfˈtɛn.ənt/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: lieutenants

Sense 1

Meaning · English

The lowest junior commissioned officer rank(s) in many military forces, often Army and Marines. — 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.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Hạng sĩ quan ủy nhiệm junior thấp nhất trong nhiều lực lượng quân sự

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

NounRegister: US

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

The lowest junior commissioned officer rank(s) in many military forces, often Army and Marines. — 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.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Hạng sĩ quan hải quân trên hạ sĩ quan nhưng dưới chỉ huy

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

NounRegister: US

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

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

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Hạng quân sự junior hơn cấp bậc mà tính từ sửa đổi

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “lieutenant” mean?

The lowest junior commissioned officer rank(s) in many military forces, often Army and Marines. — 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.

Is “lieutenant” formal or informal?

lieutenant is generally US.