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lieutenant

Syllabification: (lieu·ten·ant)
Pronunciation: /lo͞oˈtenənt/

Translate lieutenant | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of lieutenant

noun

  • a deputy or substitute acting for a superior:he accepted his top lieutenant’s resignation with deep regret
  • see first lieutenant, second lieutenant.
  • a naval officer of a high rank, in particular a commissioned officer in the US Navy or Coast Guard ranking above lieutenant junior grade and below lieutenant commander.
  • a police or fire department officer next in rank below captain.

Derivatives

lieutenancy

Pronunciation: /-ˈtenənsē/

noun (plural lieutenancies)

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old French (see lieu, tenant)

In the normal British pronunciation of lieutenant, the first syllable sounds like lef. In the standard US pronunciation, the first syllable, in contrast, sounds like loo. It is difficult to explain where the f in the British pronunciation comes from. Probably, at some point before the 19th century, the u at the end of Old French lieu was read and pronounced as a v, and the v later became an f.

Spelling help

The beginning of lieutenant is lieu-.

lieutenant in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of lieutenant in the British & World English dictionary

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