Basic Details
Word: Lieutenant
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: An officer in the army, navy or air force of a junior rank, below a captain in the army; also a deputy who acts for a more senior person.
Synonyms: officer, deputy, second-in-command
Word origin: Comes from French lieu, 'place', and tenant, 'holding': someone who holds the place of a senior officer.
How to Spell Lieutenant
Syllables: lieu - ten - ant
Tricky part: The word starts with lieu (i, e, u), which is not spelt the way it sounds, and it ends in ant, not ent.
Watch out for: leutenant, lieutenent, liutenant, lieutanant
Memory tip: Build it from three pieces: lieu + ten + ant. Picture ten ants marching behind their officer.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The young lieutenant led his platoon through the snow at the border post.
Example 2: Captain Rao asked her lieutenant to check the supplies.
Example 3: My uncle joined the Indian Navy as a sub-lieutenant after his training.
Fun Fact
In Britain and India the word is usually said lef-TEN-ant, while in the United States it is said loo-TEN-ant. The spelling is the same everywhere.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. sargeant 2. lieutenant 3. colonal 4. battallion
a) a senior army officer who often commands a regiment
b) a soldier of a rank above corporal
c) a large group of soldiers forming part of a brigade
d) an army officer of the rank just below captain
Show answer
d) an army officer of the rank just below captain. Sergeant starts with ser, not sar, colonel ends in el and battalion has a single l; lieutenant has no error.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters:
l_eut_n_nt
a) i, e, a
b) e, e, a
c) i, a, a
d) e, a, e
Show answer
a) i, e, a. It opens with the French lieu, i then e, and the last vowel is the a of ant.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
The tnealtnuie was promoted to captain after ten years of service.
a) lieutenancy
b) attendant
c) lieutenant
d) tenement
Show answer
c) lieutenant. Only lieutenant uses all ten letters; lieutenancy needs a c and a y, and attendant has no l or u.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Where does the first part of lieutenant come from?
a) English lie, meaning untruth
b) French lieu, meaning place
c) Latin lux, meaning light
d) Greek leon, meaning lion
Show answer
b) French lieu, meaning place
2. A lieutenant colonel ranks ____ a colonel.
a) just above
b) the same as
c) just below
d) far above
Show answer
c) just below
