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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Before becoming Army Secretary, Driscoll served in Iraq as an armor officer, leaving after three and a half years as a first lieutenant. — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 25 Nov. 2025 After leaving active duty as a first lieutenant, Driscoll worked in finance and held internships with the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs and major law firms. — Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025 The Air Force base and the airport's original name commemorated Charles Linton Williams, an Arizona native who was a first lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. — Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 13 Aug. 2025 Though their kids have stayed out of the public eye, Angela shared on Facebook in November 2020 that their daughter, Abby, was a first lieutenant in the United States Air Force. — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for first lieutenant

Word History

First Known Use

1697, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of first lieutenant was in 1697

Rhymes for first lieutenant

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Browse Nearby Words

first law
first lieutenant
first light
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Cite this Entry

“First lieutenant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20lieutenant. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

first lieutenant

noun
: a military commissioned officer with a rank just below that of captain

More from Merriam-Webster on first lieutenant

Nglish: Translation of first lieutenant for Spanish Speakers

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