A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a

commissioned officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent conte ...

rank in the

armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often subdivided into senior (

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

) and junior (

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 1 ...

and even third lieutenant) ranks. In navies, it is often equivalent to the army rank of captain; it may also indicate a particular post rather than a rank. The rank is also used in

fire service A fire department (American English) or fire brigade ( Commonwealth English), also known as a fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and fire suppression ...

emergency medical services Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care. ...

security services Security Service or security service may refer to: Government * Security agency, a nation's institution for intelligence gathering * List of security agencies (MI5, NSA, KGB, etc.) * (SD), Nazi German agency which translates as "Security Servi ...

and

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest a ...

forces. Lieutenant may also appear as part of a title used in various other organisations with a codified command structure. It often designates someone who is "

second-in-command Second-in-command (2i/c or 2IC) is a title denoting that the holder of the title is the second-highest authority within a certain organisation. Usage In the British Army or Royal Marines, the second-in-command is the deputy commander of a unit, ...

", and as such, may precede the name of the rank directly above it. For example, a "lieutenant master" is likely to be second-in-command to the "master" in an organisation using both ranks. Political uses include

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

in various governments, such as the viceregal representatives of the

Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

in Canadian provinces. In the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, a lord lieutenant is the sovereign's representative in a county or

lieutenancy area Lieutenancy areas are the separate areas of the United Kingdom appointed a lord-lieutenant – a representative of the British monarch. In many cases they have similar demarcation and naming to, but are not necessarily coterminate with, the co ...

, while a deputy lieutenant is one of the lord lieutenant's deputies.

Etymology

The word ''lieutenant'' derives from

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

; the ''lieu'' meaning "place" as in a position ( cf.

in lieu of IN, In or in may refer to: Places * India (country code IN) * Indiana, United States (postal code IN) * Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN) * In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast Businesses and organizations * Independ ...

); and ''tenant'' meaning "holding" as in "holding a position"; thus a "lieutenant" is a placeholder for a superior, during their absence (compare the Latin ''

locum tenens A locum, or locum tenens, is a person who temporarily fulfills the duties of another; the term is especially used for physicians or clergy. For example, a ''locum tenens physician'' is a physician who works in the place of the regular physician ...

''). In the 19th century, British writers who considered this word either an imposition on the English language, or difficult for common soldiers and sailors, argued for it to be replaced by the

calque In linguistics, a calque () or loan translation is a word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal word-for-word or root-for-root translation. When used as a verb, "to calque" means to borrow a word or phrase from another language ...

"steadholder". However, their efforts failed, and the French word is still used, along with its many variations (e.g. lieutenant colonel,

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

flight lieutenant Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth countries. It has a NATO rank code of OF-2. Flight lieutenant is abbreviated as Flt Lt in the Indi ...

and many non-English language examples), in both the Old and the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...

Pronunciation

Pronunciation of ''lieutenant'' as is generally associated with the armies of

British Commonwealth The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the C ...

countries and the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...

, while is generally associated with the United States military.

American Heritage Dictionary American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the " United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, ...

, s.v
"Lieutenant"
The early history of the pronunciation is unclear;

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English ...

spellings suggest that both pronunciations may have existed even then.

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...

. The majority of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century sources show pronunciations with /v/ or /f/, but Bullokar has /liu/. The rare

Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligi ...

variant spelling ''leuf'' for Modern French ''lieu'' ('place') supports the suggestion that a final of the Old French word was in certain environments perceived as an . Furthermore, in Latin, the ''lingua franca'' of the era, the letter v is used for both u and v. In Royal Naval (RN) tradition—and other English-speaking navies outside the United States—a reduced pronunciation is used. This is not recognised as current by recent editions of the OED (although the RN pronunciation was included in editions of OED up until the 1970s).

Military rank

Lieutenant

The senior grade of lieutenant is known as first lieutenant in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

, and as lieutenant in the

and the rest of the English-speaking world. In countries that do not speak English, the rank title usually translates as "lieutenant", but may also translate as "first lieutenant" or "senior lieutenant". The Israel Defense Forces rank ''segen'' (סגן) literally translates as "deputy", which is equivalent to a lieutenant. In the Finnish military there is a

senior lieutenant Senior lieutenant is a military grade between a lieutenant and a captain, often used by countries from the former Eastern Bloc. It is comparable to first lieutenant. Finland ( sv, premiärlöjtnant) is a Finnish military rank above ( sv, lö ...

grade that ranks above lieutenant and second lieutenant but below captain; it does not have an English equivalent. In Germany it is called Oberleutnant (senior lieutenant).

Army rank

Conventionally, armies and other services or branches that use army-style rank titles have two grades of lieutenant, but a few also use a third, more junior, rank. Historically, the "lieutenant" was the deputy to a "captain", and as the rank structure of armies began to formalise, this came to mean that a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

commanded a company and had several lieutenants, each commanding a

platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrol A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as Law enforcement officer, law enforcement officers, military personnel, or Security guard, secur ...

. Where more junior officers were employed as deputies to the lieutenant, they went by many names, including second lieutenant, sub-lieutenant,

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diff ...

and

cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B, though there is also a so ...

. Some parts of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...

, including the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

, Royal Engineers and

fusilier Fusilier is a name given to various kinds of soldiers; its meaning depends on the historical context. While fusilier is derived from the 17th-century French word ''fusil'' – meaning a type of flintlock musket – the term has been used in con ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

s, used first lieutenant as well as second lieutenant until the end of the 19th century, and some British Army regiments still preserve cornet as an official alternative to second lieutenant. There is great variation in the insignia used worldwide. In most English-speaking and Arabic-speaking countries, as well as a number of European and South American nations, full lieutenants (and equivalents) usually wear two stars (pips) and second lieutenants (and equivalents) one. An example of an exception is the United States, whose armed forces distinguish their lieutenant ranks with a silver bar for first lieutenant and brass bar for second lieutenant. ALB-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Albanian Army) 08.AlgA-1LT.svg,

(

Algerian Land Forces The Algerian Land Forces ( ar, القوات البرية الجزائرية, , Algerian Land Forces) are the land forces of the Algerian People's National Army. The forces' equipment is supplied by Russia and various other countries. The fo ...

) Angola-Army-OF-1b.svg,
(

Angolan Army The Angolan Army () is the land component of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA). History On August 1, 1974, a few months after a military coup d'état had overthrown the Lisbon regime and proclaimed its intention of granting independence to Angola, ...

) Argentina-Army-OF-1b.svg,
(

Argentine Army The Argentine Army ( es, Ejército Argentino, EA) is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of Argentina. Under the Argentine Constitution, the president of Argentina is the command ...

) Post-Soviet-Army-OF-1b.svg,

( Armenian Ground Forces) Australian Army OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
(

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...

) Bundesheer - Rank insignia - Leutnant.png,
( Austrian Army) 10.AzAF-LT.png,
( Azerbaijani Land Forces) Bangladesh-army-OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant

(

Bangladesh Army The Bangladesh Army is the land warfare branch and the largest component of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities to deliver the Bangladeshi government's security and def ...

) Post-Soviet-Army-OF-1b.svg,

( Belarusian Ground Forces) Army-BEL-OF-01a.svg,
(

Belgian Land Component The Land Component ( nl, Landcomponent, french: Composante terre) is the land branch of the Belgian Armed Forces. The King of the Belgians is the commander in chief. The current chief of staff of the Land Component is Major-General Pierre Gérar ...

) Belize-Army-OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
( Belize Ground Forces) Benin Army OF-1b.svg,
( Benin Army) TteEB.svg,
( Bolivian Army) 08.Bhutan Army-1LT.svg, Lieutenant
(

Royal Bhutan Army The Royal Bhutan Army (RBA; dz, བསྟན་སྲུང་དམག་སྡེ་, bStan-srung dmag-sde) is a branch of the armed forces of the Kingdom of Bhutan responsible for maintaining the country's territorial integrity and sovereign ...

) 11.RBrLF-1LT.svg,
( Royal Brunei Land Forces) Rank insignia of Лейтенант of the Bulgarian Army.png,

( Bulgarian Land Forces) 09. Burkina Faso Army - 1LT.svg,
( Burkina Faso Ground Forces) Burundi-Army-OF-1a.svg,

( Burundi Ground Forces) Cameroon-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Cameroon Ground Forces) Canadian Army OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant

(

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command (military formation), command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases acr ...

) Cape_Verde-army-OF-1b.svg,
( Cape Verdean National Guard) 11.CAGF-1LT.svg,
( Central African Ground Forces) Chad-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Chadian Ground Forces) SS.OO.3.EJER.TENIENTE.svg,
(

Chilean Army The Chilean Army ( es, Ejército de Chile) is the land arm of the Military of Chile. This 80,000-person army (9,200 of which are conscripts) is organized into six divisions, a special operations brigade and an air brigade. In recent years, and a ...

) Colombia-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Colombian Army) Comoros-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Comorian Army) DR Congo Army OF-1b.svg,
( Land Forces of the DR Congo) 09-ROCongo Army-1LT.svg,
( Congolese Ground Forces) Cuba-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Cuban Revolutionary Army) Denmark-Army-OF-1a-M11.svg,
( Royal Danish Army) Djibouti-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Djiboutian Army) 10.ECA-1LT.svg,
( Ecuadorian Army) El-Salvador-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Salvadoran Army) 08. EGLF-1LT.svg,
( Army of Equatorial Guinea) ES-Army-OF13.svg,
(

Estonian Land Forces The Estonian Land Forces ( et, Maavägi), unofficially referred to as the Estonian Army, is the name of the unified ground forces among the Estonian Defense Forces where it has an offensive military formation role. It is currently the largest ...

) Fijian-OF-01b.svg, Lieutenant
( Fiji Infantry Regiment) Luutnantti M05.svg,

(

Finnish Army The Finnish Army ( Finnish: ''Maavoimat'', Swedish: ''Armén'') is the land forces branch of the Finnish Defence Forces. The Finnish Army is divided into six branches: the infantry (which includes armoured units), field artillery, anti-aircra ...

) Army-FRA-OF-01a.svg,
(

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed Force ...

) 10.GLF-LT.svg,
( Gabonese Army) Georgia Army OF-1b.png,

( Georgian Land Forces) HD H 41 Leutnant FschJg.svg,
( German Army) 08-Ghana Army-1LT.svg, Lieutenant
( Ghana Army) Guatemala-army-OF-1b.svg,
( Guatemalan Army) Mali-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Guinea Ground Forces) Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Lieutenant rank insignia.svg, Lieutenant
( Guyana Army) Haiti-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Haitian Army) HON-army-OF-1b.svg,
(

Honduran Army The Armed Forces of Honduras ( es, Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras), consists of the Honduran Army, Honduran Navy and Honduran Air Force. History Pre-1979 The Armed Forces of Honduras were created through article 44, subsection 4 of the First Const ...

) Lieutenant of the Indian Army.svg, Lieutenant

(

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four ...

) Ireland-Army-OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant

(

Irish Army The Irish Army, known simply as the Army ( ga, an tArm), is the land component of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Defence Forces of Republic of Ireland, Ireland.The Defence Forces are made up of the Permanent Defence Forces – the standing bran ...

) Rank insignia of tenete of the Army of Italy (1973).svg,
(

Italian Army "The safeguard of the republic shall be the supreme law" , colors = , colors_labels = , march = ''Parata d'Eroi'' ("Heroes's parade") by Francesco Pellegrino, ''4 Maggio'' (May 4) ...

) Ivory Coast-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Ivory Coast Ground Forces) Jamaica-Army-OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
( Jamaican Army) 11-RKGF-LT.svg,

( Kazakh Ground Forces) 08. Kenyan Army LT.svg, Lieutenant
(

Kenya Army The Kenya Army is the land arm of the Kenya Defence Forces. History The origin of the present day Kenya Army lie with the British Army's King's African Rifles. In the last quarter of the 19th Century the British began actively enforcing the abo ...

) Kosovo-Army-OF-1b.svg,
(

Kosovo Security Force , image = KSF logo.svg , alt = , caption = Emblem , image2 = Flag of the Kosovo Security Force.svg , alt2 = , caption2 = Flag , motto = , founded ...

) 08.Kyrgyzstan Army-LT.svg,

( Kyrgyz Army) LV-Army-OF1b.png,
( Latvian Land Forces) blank.svg, Lieutenant
( Lesotho Army) 13-Lithuania Army-2LT.svg,
( Lithuanian Land Forces) Army-LUX-OF-01b.svg,
(

Luxembourg Army The Luxembourg Armed Forces (; french: Armée luxembourgeoise) are the national military force of Luxembourg. The army has been a fully volunteer military since 1967. , it has 939 personnel. The army is under civilian control, with the grand ...

) Madagascar-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Madagascar Ground Forces) 08. Malawi Army - LT.svg, Lieutenant
( Malawian Army) 09.Malta Army-1LT.svg,
( Army of Malta) Malaysia-army-OF-1b.svg,
(

Malaysian Army The Malaysian Army ( ms, Tentera Darat Malaysia; Jawi: تنترا دارت مليسيا) is the land component of the Malaysian Armed Forces. Steeped in British Army traditions, the Malaysian Army does not carry the title ‘royal’ () as do t ...

) 06.Mali Army-1LT.svg,
( Malian Army) Mexico army OF1b.svg,
( Mexican Army) 09-Moldovan Army-2LT.svg,
( Moldovan Ground Forces) Monaco-army-OF-1b.svg,
( Army of Monaco) 11-Moroccan Army-1LT.svg,
( Royal Moroccan Army) Mozambique-Army-OF-1b.svg,
(

Mozambican Army The Mozambique Defence Armed Forces ( pt, Forças Armadas de Defesa de Moçambique) or FADM are the national armed forces of Mozambique. They include the General Staff of the Armed Forces and three branches of service: Army, Air Force and Nav ...

) 08-Namibia Army-1LT.svg, Lieutenant
( Namibian Army) 12.Nepalese Army-1LT.svg, Lieutenant

(

Nepali Army The Nepali Army ( ne, नेपाली सेना, translit=Nēpālī Sēnā), technically the Gorkhali Army ( ne, गोरखाली सेना, translit=Gōrakhālī Sēnā, label=none; see ''Gorkhas''), is the land service branch ...

) New Zealand-Army-OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
(

New Zealand Army , image = New Zealand Army Logo.png , image_size = 175px , caption = , start_date = , country = , branch = ...

) 08-Nicaragua Army-2LT.svg,
( Nicaraguan Army) blank.svg,
( Niger Ground Forces) Nigeria-Army-OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
(

Nigerian Army The Nigerian Army (NA) is the land force of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is governed by the Nigerian Army Council (NAC). The Chief of Army Staff is the highest ranking military officer of the Nigerian Army. History Formation The Nigeria ...

) OF-1(B) Pakistan Army.svg, Lieutenant

( Pakistani Army) Paraguay-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Paraguayan Army) Peru-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Peruvian Army) Army-POR-OF-01a.svg,
( Portuguese Army) Romania-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Romanian Land Forces) Russia-Army-OF-1b-2010.svg,

(

Russian Ground Forces The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска �В Sukhoputnyye voyska V, also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Gro ...

) 08-Rwanda Army-1LT.svg, Lieutenant
( Rwandan Land Forces) Belize-Army-OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
( SKN Regiment) Guardia_di_Rocca_OF1b.png,
( Sammarinese Guard of the Rock) STeP OF-1b.svg,
( Army of São Tomé and Príncipe) Senegal-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Senegalese Army) Seychelles Army OF-01b (2018).svg, Lieutenant
( Seychelles Infantry Unit) 02-RSA-OF01b.svg, Lieutenant
( Singapore Army) SAA-OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
(

South African Army The South African Army is the principal land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Service. ...

) Spain-Army-OF-1b.svg,
(

Spanish Army The Spanish Army ( es, Ejército de Tierra, lit=Land Army) is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies — dating back to the late 15th century. The ...

) Sri Lanka-army-OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
(

Sri Lanka Army ta, இலங்கை இராணுவம் , image = File:Sri Lanka Army Logo.png , image_size = 180px , caption = Emblem of the Sri Lanka Army , start_date ...

) Sweden-Field-OF-1b (2019).svg,
(

Swedish Army The Swedish Army ( sv, svenska armén) is the land force of the Swedish Armed Forces. History Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1521, when the men of Dalarna chose 16 young able men as body guards for the insurgent nobleman Gusta ...

) CHE OF1b Lt.svg,
(

Swiss Army The Swiss Armed Forces (german: Schweizer Armee, french: Armée suisse, it, Esercito svizzero, rm, Armada svizra; ) operates on land and in the air, serving as the primary armed forces of Switzerland. Under the country's militia system, r ...

) Post-Soviet-Army-OF-1b.svg,

( Tajik Ground Forces) 09-Tanzania Army-1LT.svg, Lieutenant

( Tanzanian Army) Timor-Leste-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Timor-Leste Army) Togo-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Togolese Army) Tonga-Army-OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
( Tongan Land Component) TaT-Army-OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
( Trinidad and Tobago Regiment) Post-Soviet-Army-OF-1b.svg,
(

Turkmen Ground Forces The Turkmen Ground Forces () is the army branch of the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan. The ground forces include the 2nd, 3rd, 11th, and 22nd Motor Rifle Divisions as well as smaller units consisting of various types of troops. History The ba ...

) Uganda-Army-OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
( Ugandan Land Forces) UA shoulder mark 12.svg,

( Ukrainian Ground Forces) British Army OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
(

) Rank insignia of Leutnant (OF-1b) Pontifical Swiss Guard.svg,
( Swiss Guard) TTEEJB-GNB.png,
(

Venezuelan Army The Venezuelan Army, officially the National Army of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, Ejército Nacional de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is one of the six professional branches of the Armed Forces of Venezuela. Also known ...

) Uzbekistan-army-OF-1b.svg,
( Uzbek Ground Forces) blank.svg, Lieutenant
(

Zambian Army The Zambian Army, is the land military branch of the Zambian Defence Force. Like all branches of the Zambian military, citizens of the nation are required to register at 16 years old, and citizens can join at 16 years old with parental consent or ...

) Zimbabwe-Army-OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
( Zimbabwe National Army)

Marine rank

The

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through ...

and British

Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

both use army ranks, while many former Eastern-Bloc marine forces retain the naval form. Before 1999 the Royal Marines enjoyed the same rank structure as the army, but at a grade higher; thus a Royal Marine captain ranked with and was paid the same as a British Army major. This historical remnant caused increasing confusion in multi-national operations and was abolished. Generic-Navy-O2.svg,
(

Colombian Naval Infantry The Colombian Naval Infantry, also referred to as Colombian Marines ( es, Infantería de Marina Colombiana), is the marine force of the Colombian National Armada. The 53,123-member Colombian Marine Infantry is organized into a single division w ...

) Maldives Army OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant

( Maldivian Marine Corps) 7in.png,
( Spanish Marine Infantry) OF-1 Löjtnant AMF hylsa.jpg,
(

Swedish Amphibious Corps The Amphibious Corps ( sv, Amfibiekåren, Amf) is the maritime land force arm of the Swedish Navy, with an emphasis on coastal defence. Until 2000 it was known as the Coastal Artillery ( sv, Kustartilleriet), but the name was changed to reflect i ...

) British Royal Marines OF-1b.svg,

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

(

)

Air force rank

While some air forces use the army rank system, the British

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

and many other

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with " republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from th ...

air forces use another rank system in which

ranks with an army captain and naval lieutenant, a flying officer ranks with an army lieutenant and a

pilot officer Pilot officer (Plt Off officially in the RAF; in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly P/O in all services, and still often used in the RAF) is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countrie ...

with an army second lieutenant. RAAF O3 rank.png, Flight lieutenant
(

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

) CDN-Air Force-Lieutenant (OF1A)-2015.svg, Lieutenant
(

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environ ...

) Indian IAF OF-2.svg, Flight lieutenant
(

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...

) Teniente de la FAM.gif,
( Mexican Air Force) RO-Airforce-OF-2bs.PNG,
( Romanian Air Force) SAAF-OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
(

South African Air Force "Through hardships to the stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment ...

) Tte-ea.svg,
(

Spanish Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = Spanish Air and Space Force Anthem , mascot = , anniversaries = 10 December , equipment ...

) SWE-Airforce-löjtnant.png,
( Swedish Air Force) Thai air O2.png, Flight lieutenant
(

Royal Thai Air Force "Royal Thai Air Force March" , mascot = , anniversaries = 9 April 1937 (Royal Thai Air Force Day) , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles ...

) British RAF OF-2.svg, Flight lieutenant
(

) In the US Air Force, the Third Lieutenant Program refers specifically to a training program at active duty air force bases for cadets of the Air Force Academy and Air Force ROTC the summer before their fourth and final year before graduation and commissioning. A single silver or subdued pip is used to designate this rank. The Royal Air Force also has an acting pilot officer designation, the most junior commissioned rank in the British armed forces. It is functionally equivalent to third lieutenant.

Naval rank

During the early days of the naval rank, a lieutenant might be very junior indeed, or might be on the cusp of promotion to captain; by modern standards, he might rank with any army rank between second lieutenant and lieutenant colonel. As the rank structure of navies stabilized, and the ranks of commander, lieutenant commander and sub-lieutenant were introduced, the naval lieutenant came to rank with an army captain (NATO OF-2 or US O-3). The insignia of a lieutenant in many navies, including the Royal Navy, consists of two medium gold braid stripes (top stripe with loop) on a

navy blue Navy blue is a very dark shade of the color blue. Navy blue got its name from the dark blue (contrasted with naval white) worn by officers in the Royal Navy since 1748 and subsequently adopted by other navies around the world. When this color n ...

or black background. This pattern was copied by the United States Navy and various Air Forces for their equivalent ranks grades, except that the loop is removed (see

). File:French Navy-Rama NG-OF1b.svg, France File:GR-Navy-OF2.svg, Greece File:IN Lieutenant.png, India File:PN LTSG WhtDr.svg, Philippines (Lieutenant Senior Grade) File:POR-Navy-primeiro-tenente.png, Portugal File:Russia-Navy-OF-1b.svg, Russia File:US Navy O3 insignia.svg, United States

Lieutenant commander

Lieutenants were commonly put in command of smaller vessels not warranting a commander or captain: such a lieutenant was called a "lieutenant commanding" or "lieutenant commandant" in the United States Navy, and a "lieutenant in command" or "lieutenant and commander" in the Royal Navy. The USN settled on "lieutenant commander" in 1862, and made it a distinct rank; the Royal Navy followed suit in March 1914. The insignia of an additional half-thickness stripe between the two full stripes of a lieutenant was introduced in 1877 for a Royal Navy lieutenant of 8 years seniority, and used for lieutenant commanders upon introduction of their rank.

Senior lieutenant

First lieutenant

"First lieutenant" in naval use

The first lieutenant in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...

and other Commonwealth navies, is a post or appointment, rather than a rank. Historically the lieutenants in a ship were ranked in accordance with seniority, with the most senior being termed the "first lieutenant" and acting as the

. Although lieutenants are no longer numbered by seniority, the post of "first lieutenant" remains. In minor war vessels, destroyers and frigates the first lieutenant (either a lieutenant or lieutenant-commander) is second in command,

executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer, ...

(XO) and head of the executive branch; in larger ships where a commander of the warfare specialization is appointed as the executive officer, a first lieutenant (normally a lieutenant-commander) is appointed as his deputy. The post of first lieutenant in a

shore establishment A stone frigate is a naval establishment on land. "Stone frigate" is an informal term that has its origin in Britain's Royal Navy after its use of Diamond Rock, an island off Martinique, as a 'sloop of war' to harass the French in 1803–04. ...

carries a similar responsibility to the first lieutenant of a

capital ship The capital ships of a navy are its most important warships; they are generally the larger ships when compared to other warships in their respective fleet. A capital ship is generally a leading or a primary ship in a naval fleet. Strategic i ...

. In the U.S. Navy or U.S. Coast Guard the billet of first lieutenant describes the officer in charge of the

deck department The deck department is an organisational team on board naval and merchant ships. The department and its manning requirements, including the responsibilities of each rank are regulated within the STCW Convention, applicable only to the merchant fl ...

or division, depending upon the size of the ship. In smaller ships with only a single deck division, the billet is typically filled by an ensign while in larger ships with a deck department, consisting of multiple subordinate divisions, the billet may be filled by a lieutenant commander. On submarines and smaller Coast Guard cutters the billet of first lieutenant may be filled by a

petty officer A petty officer (PO) is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotation OR-5 or OR-6. In many nations, they are typically equal to a sergeant in comparison to other military branches. Often they may be superio ...

Second lieutenant

Second lieutenant is usually the most junior grade of commissioned officer. In most cases, newly commissioned officers do not remain at the rank for long before being promoted, and both university graduates and officers commissioned from the ranks may skip the rank altogether.

Third lieutenant

United States rank

In March 1813, the US Army created the rank of third lieutenant. The rank was used as the entry level officer rank for the Ordnance Department and the Corps of Artillery until March 1821. Throughout the 19th century and until as late as World War II the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

sometimes referred to

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

s as "third lieutenants". These were typically newly commissioned officers for which no authorized second lieutenant position existed. Additionally, the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

also used "third lieutenant", typically as the lowest ranking commissioned officer in an infantry company. Notably, the

United States Revenue Cutter Service ) , colors= , colors_label= , march= , mascot= , equipment= , equipment_label= , battles= , anniversaries=4 August , decorations= , battle_honours= , battle_honours_label= , disbanded=28 January 1915 , flying_hours= , website= , commander1= , co ...

used a simple officer rank structure with Captain, First, Second and Third Lieutenants, each of whom had distinct insignia. The title of Third Lieutenant, essentially equal to the rank of

, existed until 1915 when the Service became the nucleus of the new

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...

. Because of the time required to fully establish this organization the rank continued for some time afterwards; the first Coast Guard aviator,

Elmer F. Stone Elmer "Archie" Fowler Stone (January 22, 1887 – May 20, 1936) was a United States naval aviator and a commander in the United States Coast Guard. Biography Stone was born in Livonia, New York and grew up in Norfolk, Virginia. He joined the U.S. ...

, was a third lieutenant until 1918.

Sub-lieutenant

In the Royal Navy, the commissioned rank of mate was created in 1840, and was renamed sub-lieutenant in 1860. In the US Navy, the rank was called master until 1883, when it was renamed

lieutenant, junior grade Lieutenant junior grade is a junior commissioned officer rank used in a number of navies. United States Lieutenant (junior grade), commonly abbreviated as LTJG or, historically, Lt. (j.g.) (as well as variants of both abbreviations), i ...

. In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant, but in Brazil it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain it is the second highest non-commissioned rank. In Portugal, sub-lieutenant is the rank of a junior naval officer graduated from a civil university or promoted from a NCO rank, while the equivalent rank of an officer graduated in the naval academy is designated midshipman.

Other uses

Police rank

France and the French Union

The first French Lieutenant of Police,

Gabriel Nicolas de la Reynie Gabriel Nicolas de la Reynie (1625 – 14 June 1709) is considered to be the founder of the first modern police force. Early career Born in 1625 in Limoges, France to a poor family, Gabriel Nicolas made a wealthy marriage in 1645 and took the nam ...

, was appointed in Paris by Louis XIV on 15 March 1667 to command a reformed police force. He was later elevated to Lieutenant-General of Police. In the 17th century, the term "lieutenant" corresponded to "deputy" (i.e. a person appointed to carry out a task). La Reynie was the deputy for policing duties of the Provost of Paris, the ceremonial representative of the King in Paris. In 1995, the rank of ''lieutenant'' was introduced in the National Police as the first rank of the police officers scale.

United Kingdom and Commonwealth police forces

The rank of Lieutenant was formerly used in areas outside of the Metropolitan Police. The adoption of standardized ranks across the United Kingdom has eliminated its use. A number of city and burgh police forces in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

used the rank of lieutenant (and detective lieutenant) between inspector and superintendent from 1812 to 1948. It was replaced by the rank of

chief inspector Chief inspector (Ch Insp) is a rank used in police forces which follow the British model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to as chief inspector of police (CIP). Usage by country Australia The rank of chief inspector is ...

. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (founded 1871) had the rank of lieutenant between staff sergeant and inspector until 1997. In Australia, Queensland's first police force (founded 1864) had second lieutenants and lieutenants between the ranks of sergeant and inspector-general.

United States police forces

The rank of police lieutenant is used in most medium or large police departments in the United States, where it is one rank above sergeant and two ranks above a regular police officer (three in departments with a corporal rank). It is roughly equivalent to an inspector in the British and Canadian police forces. The usual role of a lieutenant is to carry out administrative duties and assist precinct commanders (normally a Captain, or sometimes the local police chiefs). In smaller police departments, they may command a precinct itself. Lieutenants either command a watch (8-hour "shift") of regular officers or a special unit for operations or investigations (like a Robbery-Homicide squad). The typical rank insignia for a lieutenant is a single silver bar (like that of an Army or Marine Corps First Lieutenant) or a single gold bar (like that of an Army or Marine Corps Second Lieutenant). Some police departments split the rank of lieutenant into two separate grades.

Other nations

Bangladesh Police ASP Rank.svg, Assistant Superintendent
(

Bangladesh Police The Bangladesh Police ( bn, বাংলাদেশ পুলিশ) of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a law enforcement agency, operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It plays a crucial role in maintaining peace, and enforcemen ...

) Insignia PM O6.PNG, 2nd Lieutenant
( Military Police (Brazil)) Insignia PM O5.PNG, 1st Lieutenant
( Military Police (Brazil)) Assistant SP IPS 2.png, Assistant Superintendent
(

Indian Police Service The Indian Police Service ( IPS) is a civil service under the All India Services. It replaced the Indian Imperial Police in 1948, a year after India became Partition of India, independent from the British Raj. Along with the Indian Administ ...

) PNP PI.png, Police Lieutenant
(

Philippine National Police The Philippine National Police ( fil, Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas, acronymed as PNP) is the armed national police force in the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Current ...

) POL policja komisarz.svg, Komisarz
(Polish

Policja Policja () is the generic name for the national police force of the Republic of Poland. The Polish police force was known as ''policja'' throughout the Second Polish Republic (1918–1939), and in the modern Republic of Poland since 1990. Its cu ...

) Inspector.png, Inspector
( Romanian Police) Ukrainian police shoulder mark 06.svg, Police Lieutenant
( National Police of Ukraine) US-O1 insignia.svg, US Police 2nd Lieutenant
( Police ranks of the United States) US-O2 insignia.svg, US Police 1st Lieutenant
( Police ranks of the United States) Russia-Police-OF-1b-2013.svg, Police Lieutenant
(

Police of Russia The Police of Russia () is the national law-enforcement agency in Russia, operating under the Ministry of Internal Affairs from . It was established by decree from Peter the Great and in 2011, replacing the Militsiya, the former police servic ...

)

Fire services rank

Singapore

In the Singapore Civil Defence Force, the rank of lieutenant (LTA) is the second-lowest commissioned rank. The rank insignia of LTA is two pips.

Political titles

Canada

In Canada, the representative of the Canadian monarch in each province is called the

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

. The Lieutenant Governor exercises all the royal prerogative powers that the monarch holds.

France

In French history, "lieutenant du roi" was a title borne by the officer sent with military powers to represent the king in certain provinces. It is in the sense of a deputy that it has entered into the titles of more senior officers,

and lieutenant colonel.

United Kingdom

The

British monarch The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional monarchy, constitutional form of government by which a hereditary monarchy, hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United ...

's representatives in the counties of the

are called

Lords Lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...

. The

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the King ...

performed the function of

viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

United States

The

is an official in state governments of 45 out of 50

. In most cases, the lieutenant governor is the highest officer of state after the

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

, standing in for the governor when they are absent from the state or temporarily incapacitated. In the event a governor dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the lieutenant governor typically becomes governor. In the

, a

serves as the

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especial ...

and commander-in-chief in each of the fifty states and in the five permanently inhabited territories, functioning as both

head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state (polity), state#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international p ...

and

head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, ...

therein.

Other organisations

The Boys' Brigade

Leaders, or officers of the Boys' Brigade, particularly in the United Kingdom, are ranked as lieutenants after having completed their formal training, before which they are ranked as warrant officers. Officers serving in staff or command posts are awarded the "brevet" rank of captain, these officers then revert to their lieutenancy after having completed their tour of duty.

National Civil Defence Cadet Corps

The rank of cadet lieutenant (CLT) is given to officer cadet trainees who have passed their officer's course. The rank insignia of CLT is a pip and a bar below it. CLTs may be promoted to the rank of senior cadet lieutenant (S/CLT), which has a rank insignia of a pip and two bars below it.

The Salvation Army

The

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its ...

also uses lieutenant to denote first time officers, or clergymen/women.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Military ranks Naval ranks Police ranks Military ranks of the Nepali Army