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first lieutenant
noun
1
: a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps ranking above a second lieutenant and below a captain
2
: a naval officer responsible for a ship's upkeep
Examples of first lieutenant in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
McDevitt joined the Army in 1917 to be an airman, but was commissioned a first lieutenant in the 11th Balloon Company.
—Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 27 Oct. 2024
Later, he was was promoted to first lieutenant, before being discharged from the Army.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2024
Ashley White received her earliest combat action badge from the United States Army soon after the first lieutenant arrived in Afghanistan.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 27 May 2024
The United States Cavalry arrives eventually to help pick up the pieces; one of their numbers is a soulful young first lieutenant played by Sam Worthington.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 21 May 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1697, in the meaning defined at sense 2
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Cite this Entry
“First lieutenant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20lieutenant. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
first lieutenant
noun
: a military commissioned officer with a rank just below that of captain
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