He was demoted to the rank of lieutenant.
Source: tatoeba (678274)
Lieutenant
/l(j)uˈtɛn.ənt/
Synonyms for "lieutenant" (183 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (37)
Strong matches (55)
cocoadjutantcoadjutorcoadjutresscoadjutrixcolonelcommandantcommandercommander in chiefcommanding officercommissioned officercommissionercommodorecompany officerconstabledeputydeputy sheriffdetectivedummyensign
Show 29 more words
Related words (91)
lieutenant commanderlieutenant generallieutenant junior gradelocumlocum tenensmace-bearermajormajor generalmarechalmarshalmounted policemanmpnarcnaval officernavarchodofficerone-star generalorderly officerparanymph
Show 63 more words
paraprofessionalpatrolmanpeace officerpetty officerpinch hitterpleaderpolice captainpolice commissionerpolice constablepolice inspectorpolice matronpolice officerpolice sergeantpolicemanpolicewomanportreeveprocuratorproxyrear admiralreeverepresentativerisaldarroundsmansatellitesecondsecond in commandsecondarysenior officersergeantsergeant at armsservantshavetailsheriffsidemansirdarskipperstaff officerstand instand-insubahdarsubalternsublieutenantsubstitutesuperintendentsupporting actorsupporting instrumentalistsurrogatethe brassthe old manthree-star generaltipstafftipstavestop brasstroopertwo-star generalunderstudyutility manvicarvicar generalvicevice admiralvicegerentwarrant officer
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: deputy, acolyte, adc, adjutant, admiral.
- Sentence evidence is available for lieutenant, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "lieutenant".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "lieutenant"
Keep "lieutenant" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "lieutenant" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "lieutenant", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "lieutenant" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
9 entriesMore specific
4 entriesCollocations
6 entriesfirst lieutenantlieutenant colonellieutenant generallieutenant governormilitary lieutenantsecond lieutenant
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
2 entriesTranslations
73 translations across 54 languages.
Afrikaans
1 entries- luitenant noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Albanian
1 entries- toger noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Arabic
1 entries- مُلَازِم noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Armenian
1 entries- լեյտենանտ noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Belarusian
1 entries- лейтэна́нт noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Bulgarian
1 entries- лейтена́нт noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Burmese
1 entries- ဗိုလ် noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Catalan
2 entries- lloctinent noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
- tinent noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 中尉 noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
- 陸軍中尉 /陆军中尉 noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Czech
1 entries- poručík noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Danish
1 entries- løjtnant noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Dutch
1 entries- luitenant noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Esperanto
1 entries- leŭtenanto noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Estonian
1 entries- leitnant noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Finnish
1 entries- luutnantti noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
French
2 entries- lieutenant noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
- lieutenante noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Galician
1 entries- tenente noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Georgian
1 entries- ლეიტენანტი noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
German
2 entries- Leutnant noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
- Leutnantin noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Greek
4 entries- ανθυπολοχαγός noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
- ανθυποπλοίαρχος noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
- ανθυποσμηναγός noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
- υπολοχαγός noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Hindi
1 entries- लेफ़्टिनेंट noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Hungarian
1 entries- hadnagy noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Indonesian
1 entries- letnan noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Irish
1 entries- leifteanant noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Italian
1 entries- tenente noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Japanese
3 entries- 中尉 noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
- 少尉 noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
- 海軍大尉 noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Khmer
1 entries- អនុនាវីទោ noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Korean
1 entries- 중위 noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Lao
1 entries- ຮ້ອຍໂທ noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Macedonian
1 entries- поручник noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Malay
1 entries- leftenan noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Māori
1 entries- rūtene noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- løytnant noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Norwegian Nynorsk
1 entries- løytnant noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Ottoman Turkish
2 entries- ملازم noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
- وكیل noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Persian
1 entries- ستوان noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Polish
1 entries- porucznik noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Portuguese
1 entries- tenente noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Romanian
1 entries- locotenent noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Romansch
2 entries- litinent noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
- tenent noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Russian
3 entries- лейтена́нт noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
- по́ру́чник noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
- пору́чик noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- pòručnīk noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
- по̀ручнӣк noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Sicilian
1 entries- tinenti noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Slovak
1 entries- poručík noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Slovene
2 entries- poročnica noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
- poročnik noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Spanish
1 entries- teniente noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Swahili
1 entries- luteni noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Swedish
1 entries- löjtnant noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Thai
2 entries- นายร้อย noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
- เรือโท noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Turkish
1 entries- teğmen noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Ukrainian
1 entries- лейтена́нт noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Uzbek
2 entries- kapitan-leytenant noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
- leytenant noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Vietnamese
1 entries- trung úy noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Yiddish
1 entries- לייטענאַנט noun (lowest commissioned officer rank)
Sample sentences
11 total sentences available.
Lieutenant Worf is a Klingon who serves as an officer aboard the Federation starship Enterprise.
Source: tatoeba (1119486)
I was a second lieutenant in the special forces.
Source: tatoeba (2488241)
Everybody feared the lieutenant colonel.
Source: tatoeba (2488260)
Showing 4 of 11 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "lieutenant"?
Closest matches include deputy, acolyte, adc, adjutant, admiral.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "lieutenant"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.