Meaning & use
lieutenant colonel
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A military officer ranking just below a colonel and above a major, often in charge of a battalion.
Grammar: Used as a title before a name or as a job description: Lieutenant Colonel Ames; he is a lieutenant colonel.
Patterns
- lieutenant colonel in something
- promoted to lieutenant colonel
The lieutenant colonel briefed the battalion before the exercise began.
She was promoted to lieutenant colonel after fifteen years of service.
My uncle retired as a lieutenant colonel in the air force.
Word forms
| plural | lieutenant colonels |
|---|
Common combinations
- promoted to lieutenant colonel
- He was promoted to lieutenant colonel last spring.
- retired lieutenant colonel
- A retired lieutenant colonel gave the talk.
- lieutenant colonel in the army
- She is a lieutenant colonel in the army.
- battalion commanded by a lieutenant colonel
- The battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel.
- Lieutenant Colonel (name)
- Lieutenant Colonel Reyes addressed the troops.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- colonel noun
- a higher rank, just above lieutenant colonel
- lieutenant noun
- a junior commissioned officer
- lieutenancy noun
- the rank or office of a lieutenant
- colonelcy noun
- the rank or position of a colonel
Commonly confused: lieutenant colonel or lieutenant colonel vs. lieutenant general?
lieutenant colonel vs lieutenant colonel vs. lieutenant general
A lieutenant colonel is a mid-ranking field officer, while a lieutenant general is a very senior general officer.
Practice
Which rank sits directly between major and colonel in most armies?
Choose one answer.
A lieutenant colonel ranks above a major and below a colonel. A lieutenant general is much higher, and a captain is lower than major.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lieutenant colonel”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.