sub-lieutenant

noun

A commissioned officer of the Royal Navy ranking above a midshipman and below a lieutenant.

OriginEnglish lieutenant ← Latin sub- ← Proto-Italic *supo →
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Meanings

nounsub-lieutenant (plural sub-lieutenants)

plural sub-lieutenants

  1. A commissioned officer of the navy whose rank is immediately below that of a lieutenant.
    1. UKgovernmentA commissioned officer of the Royal Navy ranking above a midshipman and below a lieutenant.
    2. AustraliaCanadaNew ZealandgovernmentA commissioned officer of the navy ranking above an acting sub-lieutenant and below a lieutenant.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*upó
  2. Proto-Italic*supo
  3. Latinsub
  4. Latinsub-
  5. Englishsub-
  6. Englishlieutenant
  7. Englishsub-lieutenant

From sub- + lieutenant.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans onderluitenant
  • onderluitenantofficer above a midshipman
Czech nadporučík
  • nadporučíkofficer above a midshipman
Finnish luutnantti, luutnantti
  • luutnanttiofficer above a midshipman
  • luutnanttiofficer above an acting sub-lieutenant
French enseigne de vaisseau de première classe
  • enseigne de vaisseau de première classeofficer above an acting sub-lieutenant
Greek ανθυποπλοίαρχος
  • ανθυποπλοίαρχος (anthypoploíarchos)officer above an acting sub-lieutenant
Portuguese tenente de fragata
  • tenente de fragataofficer above an acting sub-lieutenant
Tamil துணை படைத்தலைவர்
  • துணை படைத்தலைவர் (tuṇai paṭaittalaivar)officer above a midshipman
Cite this entry
APA

sub-lieutenant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sub-lieutenant

MLA

“sub-lieutenant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sub-lieutenant. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sub-lieutenant,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sub-lieutenant.

Source: sub-lieutenant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.