second lieutenant

noun

: a commissioned officer of the lowest rank in the army, air force, or marine corps

Examples of second 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.
Kevin Waldron had received the coin the day when he was promoted to second lieutenant. — Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 2 Jan. 2026 At age 19, Woodhouse was a second lieutenant and assigned to the 332nd Fighter Group, also known as the Tuskegee Airmen. — Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 15 Jan. 2026 Cadet 1st Class Mark Tang, now a second lieutenant, is the Academy's first Space Force Marshall Scholar. — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 28 May 2026 The 129 second lieutenants average a higher salary, at $87,466, compared to the 313 sergeants who average a salary of $84,085. — Lucas Finton, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 18 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for second lieutenant

Word History

First Known Use

1702, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of second lieutenant was in 1702

Rhymes for second lieutenant

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Browse Nearby Words

second language
second lieutenant
second-line
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Cite this Entry

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

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Kids Definition

second lieutenant

noun
: a military commissioned officer of the lowest rank

More from Merriam-Webster on second lieutenant

Nglish: Translation of second lieutenant for Spanish Speakers

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