Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Term: LIEUTENANT
Definition: A lieutenant is someone who helps or takes the place of another person. They have authority to act on behalf of someone else. In the military, a lieutenant is an officer who is below a captain. In the Navy, a lieutenant is below a lieutenant commander.
Definition: A lieutenant is a deputy or substitute for another person who acts with vicarious authority. The term is also used as a composite part of the title of many government and military officials who are subordinate to others. In the U.S. Army, a lieutenant is a commissioned officer next below captain, and in the U.S. Navy, an officer next below lieutenant commander.
The first example illustrates how a lieutenant can act as a deputy or substitute for another person. The second example shows how the term is used as part of a title for a government official who is subordinate to a higher-ranking official. The third and fourth examples demonstrate how the term is used in the U.S. military to denote a specific rank.