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 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 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 services,
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 and
police
The police are a Law enforcement organization, constituted body of Law enforcement officer, persons empowered by a State (polity), state, with the aim to law enforcement, enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citize ...
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", 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 in various governments, such as the
viceregal representatives of the
Crown in
Canadian provinces
Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British Nort ...
. 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 continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
, a
lord lieutenant is the sovereign's representative in a county or
lieutenancy area, 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); 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'').
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 th ...
,
lieutenant commander,
flight lieutenant,
second lieutenant and many non-English language examples), in both the
Old
Old or OLD may refer to:
Places
*Old, Baranya, Hungary
*Old, Northamptonshire, England
* Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD)
*OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, M ...
and the
New World.
Pronunciation
Pronunciation of ''lieutenant'' as is generally associated with the armies of
British Commonwealth 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 the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. ...
, while is generally associated with the United States military.
[ American Heritage Dictionary, 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 Englis ...
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 c ...
. 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 intel ...
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 Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, and as lieutenant 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 continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
and the rest of the
English-speaking
Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the ''Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest language ...
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, l ...
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 commanded a
company and had several lieutenants, each commanding a
platoon. Where more junior officers were employed as deputies to the lieutenant, they went by many names, including second lieutenant, sub-lieutenant,
ensign and
cornet. 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 Gurkha ...
, 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 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 conscript ...
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
The Albanian Land Force ( sq, Forca Tokësore të Republikës së Shqipërisë) is the land force branch of the Albanian Armed Forces.
Mission
The Albanian Land Force's main mission is the defense of the independence, sovereignty and territorial ...
)
08.AlgA-1LT.svg,
( Algerian Land Forces)
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 Angol ...
)
Argentina-Army-OF-1b.svg,
(Argentine Army
The Argentine Army ( es, Ejército Argentino, EA) is the Army, 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 comman ...
)
Post-Soviet-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Armenian Ground Forces)
Australian Army OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
(Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal 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 (CA), who ...
)
Bundesheer - Rank insignia - Leutnant.png,
(Austrian Army
The Austrian Armed Forces (german: Bundesheer, lit=Federal Army) are the combined military forces of the Republic of Austria.
The military consists of 22,050 active-duty personnel and 125,600 reservists. The military budget is 0.74% of nat ...
)
10.AzAF-LT.png,
( Azerbaijani Land Forces)
Bangladesh-army-OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
( Bangladesh Army)
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 Gérard ...
)
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 responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
)
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 The Chadian Ground Forces (french: Armée de terre tchadienne) are the main and largest component of the Chadian National Army (''Armée nationale tchadienne''). Historically Chad has had one of the strongest armies in the Sahara region, larger tha ...
)
SS.OO.3.EJER.TENIENTE.svg,
( Chilean Army)
Colombia-Army-OF-1b.svg,
(Colombian Army
The National Army of Colombia ( es, Ejército Nacional de Colombia) is the land warfare service branch of the Military Forces of Colombia. With over 361,420 active personnel as of 2020, it is the largest and oldest service branch in Colombia, ...
)
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
The Royal Danish Army ( da, Hæren, fo, Herurin, kl, Sakkutuut) is the land-based branch of the Danish Defence, together with the Danish Home Guard. For the last decade, the Royal Danish Army has undergone a massive transformation of structures ...
)
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)
Fijian-OF-01b.svg, Lieutenant
(Fiji Infantry Regiment
The Fiji Infantry Regiment is the main combat element of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces. It is a light infantry regiment consisting of six battalions, of which three are regular army and three are Territorial Force. The regiment was formed w ...
)
Luutnantti M05.svg,
( Finnish Army)
Army-FRA-OF-01a.svg,
(French Army
History
Early history
The first permanent army, paid with regular wages, instead of feudal levies, was established under Charles VII of France, Charles VII in the 1420 to 1430s. The Kings of France needed reliable troops during and after the ...
)
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
The Armed Forces of Haiti (french: Forces Armées d'Haïti—FAd'H), consisted of the Haitian Army, Haitian Navy (at times), the Haitian Air Force, Haitian Coast Guard, (ANI) and some police forces (Port-au-Prince Police). The Army was always ...
)
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 Consti ...
)
Lieutenant of the Indian Army.svg, Lieutenant
(Indian Army
The Indian Army is the Land warfare, land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Arm ...
)
Ireland-Army-OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
( Irish Army)
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)
Kosovo-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Kosovo Security Force)
08.Kyrgyzstan Army-LT.svg,
(Kyrgyz Army
The Kyrgyz Ground Forces, also commonly known as the Kyrgyz Army is the infantry branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan.
History
In April 1992, Kyrgyzstan formed a State Committee for Defense Affairs, and in June the republic ...
)
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)
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 th ...
)
06.Mali Army-1LT.svg,
( Malian Army)
Mexico army OF1b.svg,
( Mexican Army)
09-Moldovan Army-2LT.svg,
(Moldovan Ground Forces
The Moldovan Ground Forces, known officially as Land Forces Command is the land armed-forces branch of the National Army of the Moldovan Armed Forces. The Moldovan Ground Forces date back to the dissolution of the Soviet Union between 1991 and 1 ...
)
Monaco-army-OF-1b.svg,
( Army of Monaco)
11-Moroccan Army-1LT.svg,
( Royal Moroccan Army)
Mozambique-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Mozambican Army)
08-Namibia Army-1LT.svg, Lieutenant
( Namibian Army)
12.Nepalese Army-1LT.svg, Lieutenant
( Nepali Army)
New Zealand-Army-OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
( New Zealand Army)
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 Nigerian ...
)
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 �ВSukhoputnyye voyska V}), also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the land forces of the Russian Armed Forces.
The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Force ...
)
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)
Spain-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Spanish Army)
Sri Lanka-army-OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
( Sri Lanka Army)
Sweden-Field-OF-1b (2019).svg,
( Swedish Army)
CHE OF1b Lt.svg,
( Swiss Army)
Post-Soviet-Army-OF-1b.svg,
(Tajik Ground Forces
The Tajik Ground Forces (), known officially as the Ground Forces of the Ministry of Defense of Tajikistan is the land army of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan. Created during the Tajik civil war, it makes up about 70 percent of the ...
)
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
The Trinidad and Tobago Regiment is the main ground force element of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. It has approximately 10,000 men and women organized into a Regiment Headquarters (located in Port of Spain) and four battalions. There is ...
)
Post-Soviet-Army-OF-1b.svg,
( Turkmen Ground Forces)
Uganda-Army-OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
( Ugandan Land Forces)
UA shoulder mark 12.svg,
( Ukrainian Ground Forces)
British Army OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
(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 Gurkha ...
)
Rank insignia of Leutnant (OF-1b) Pontifical Swiss Guard.svg,
( Swiss Guard)
TTEEJB-GNB.png,
( Venezuelan Army)
Uzbekistan-army-OF-1b.svg,
( Uzbek Ground Forces)
blank.svg, Lieutenant
( Zambian Army)
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 c ...
and British
Royal Marines 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)[ ]
Maldives Army OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
( Maldivian Marine Corps)
7in.png,
( Spanish Marine Infantry)
OF-1 Löjtnant AMF hylsa.jpg,
( Swedish Amphibious Corps)
British Royal Marines OF-1b.svg, Lieutenant
( Royal Marines)
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 air forces use another rank system in which
flight lieutenant ranks with an army captain and naval lieutenant, a
flying officer ranks with an army lieutenant and a
pilot officer 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 environm ...
)
Indian IAF OF-2.svg, Flight lieutenant
( Indian Air Force)
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)
Tte-ea.svg,
( Spanish Air Force)
SWE-Airforce-löjtnant.png,
( Swedish Air Force)
Thai air O2.png, Flight lieutenant
( Royal Thai Air Force)
British RAF OF-2.svg, Flight lieutenant
(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 ...
)
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 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
flight lieutenant).
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 English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
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
second-in-command. 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 (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 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 im ...
.
In the U.S. Navy or U.S. Coast Guard the billet of first lieutenant describes the officer in charge of the
deck department 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.
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 service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
sometimes referred to
brevet second lieutenants 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 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
ensign, 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, m ...
. 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. 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, 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 ...
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. 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)
Military Police ( pt, Polícia Militar, , also known as ''PM'', ) are the preventive state police of the states and of the Federal District of Brazil. The Military Police units are the main ostensive police force at the state level and are re ...
)
Insignia PM O5.PNG, 1st Lieutenant
(Military Police (Brazil)
Military Police ( pt, Polícia Militar, , also known as ''PM'', ) are the preventive state police of the states and of the Federal District of Brazil. The Military Police units are the main ostensive police force at the state level and are re ...
)
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 independent from the British Raj.
Along with the Indian Administrative Service ( ...
)
PNP PI.png, Police Lieutenant
( Philippine National Police)
POL policja komisarz.svg, Komisarz
(Polish Policja)
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)
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. 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,
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 th ...
and
lieutenant colonel.
United Kingdom
The
British monarch's representatives in the counties of 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 continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
are called
Lords Lieutenant. The
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 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 " ...
in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
.
United States
The
Lieutenant Governor is an official in
state governments of 45 out of 50
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 Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. 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
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 Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, a
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 ...
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 especiall ...
and
commander-in-chief in each of the fifty
states and in the five permanently inhabited
territories
A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal.
In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...
, functioning as both
head of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and ...
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, a ...
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 also uses lieutenant to denote first time officers, or clergymen/women.
See also
*
Captain lieutenant
Captain lieutenant or captain-lieutenant is a military rank, used in a number of navies worldwide and formerly in the British Army.
Northern Europe Denmark, Norway and Finland
The same rank is used in the navies of Denmark (), Norway () and Finl ...
*
Military rank
Military ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships, within armed forces, police, intelligence agencies or other institutions organized along military lines. The military rank system defines dominance, authority, and responsibility in ...
*
Comparative military ranks
*
Tenentism
Tenentism ( pt, tenentismo) was a political philosophy of junior army officers ( pt, tenentes, , ''lieutenants'') who significantly contributed to the Brazilian Revolution of 1930.
Background
The first decades of the 20th century saw marked econ ...
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Military ranks
Naval ranks
Police ranks
Military ranks of the Nepali Army