subteniente

sub-lieutenant, second lieutenant

noun soob-teh-NYEN-teh Rare

Origin: From sub- ('under') + teniente ('lieutenant'), from Latin tenere ('to hold').

Usage Note

Subteniente is a junior commissioned officer rank in the Spanish armed forces, typically just below teniente (lieutenant). In some Latin American armies it is the lowest commissioned rank, equivalent to a second lieutenant. The feminine form is subteniente (invariable in ending but feminine article: la subteniente).

Examples

"El subteniente dirigió a su pelotón con firmeza."

Natural Translation

The sub-lieutenant led his platoon firmly.

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