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Meaning & use

lieutenant commander

noun·Advancedmilitary

Last updated

UK/lefˌtenənt kəˈmɑːndə/
US/luːˌtenənt kəˈmændər/

Meanings

  1. nouncountablemilitary

    A mid-level officer rank in the navy, higher than a lieutenant and lower than a commander.

    Grammar: Used as a title before a name: Lieutenant Commander Ross.

    Patterns

    • Lieutenant Commander + name
    • promoted to lieutenant commander

    She was promoted to lieutenant commander after five years at sea.

    The lieutenant commander briefed the crew before departure.

    Lieutenant Commander Ortiz led the engineering team.

  2. nouncountablemilitary

    A person who holds this rank, often in charge of a department or a small vessel.

    Grammar: Refers to the officer, not the rank: a lieutenant commander on the bridge.

    Patterns

    • a lieutenant commander in the navy

    The lieutenant commander in charge of the ship's supplies checked the lists.

    Her father was a lieutenant commander in the Royal Navy.

    The lieutenant commander saluted as the admiral boarded.

Word forms

plurallieutenant commanders

Common combinations

promoted to lieutenant commander
He was promoted to lieutenant commander last spring.
retired lieutenant commander
A retired lieutenant commander spoke at the school.
naval lieutenant commander
The naval lieutenant commander led the team.
lieutenant commander rank
The lieutenant commander rank carries real responsibility.
serve as lieutenant commander
She served as lieutenant commander on the destroyer.

Synonyms and how they differ

LCDR
LCDR is the US Navy abbreviation of this rank, used in lists and records.
commander
Commander is the next rank up, so it is not a synonym but a more senior officer.
major
A major is the army and air force rank of similar level, not used in navies.

Word family

lieutenant noun
a junior officer rank
commander noun
a senior naval rank above lieutenant commander
command verb
to be in charge of
commission noun
an officer's official appointment

Commonly confused: lieutenant commander or lieutenant colonel? lieutenant commander or commander?

lieutenant commander vs lieutenant colonel

A lieutenant colonel is an army rank, while lieutenant commander is a naval rank.

lieutenant commander vs commander

A commander is a rank higher than lieutenant commander.

Practice

Which of these ranks sits immediately above lieutenant commander in the US Navy?

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