lieutenant
lieutenant Lexical Profile
lieutenant Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A commissioned officer of junior rank in the armed forces, or an officer of middle rank in a police or fire department, typically ranking directly below a captain.
"The fire lieutenant coordinated the rescue crew during the emergency."
A deputy or principal assistant who acts on behalf of a superior in an organization or enterprise.
"The chief executive relied on her trusted lieutenants to manage the regional branches."
Word Nuance & Usage
Pronunciation varies significantly by region: in American English, the first syllable is pronounced /luː/ ('loo-TEN-uhnt'), whereas in British and Commonwealth English, it is traditionally pronounced /lɛf/ ('lef-TEN-uhnt').
• Rhymes for lieutenant
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Old French 'lieutenant', a compound of 'lieu' (place, from Latin 'locus') and 'tenant' (holding, from Latin 'tenere'), literally meaning 'one who holds the place of another'.