Lieutenancies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The rank or post held by a lieutenant in the army or navy ; the territory or district placed under the authority of a lieutenant or Lord Lieutenant
2. The office, commission or term of service held by a lieutenant officer ; the area over which such an official exercises official authority and control
3. Positions of rank held by officers acting as deputies for a superior ; regions or counties administered by a deputy appointed to represent the crown

Etymology: "Lieutenancies" is the plural of "lieutenancy," the office or rank held by a lieutenant, or the territory a lieutenant governs. The plural is simply the noun's ordinary form, so the word's history lies in its base. "Lieutenancy" is built from "lieutenant," which combines French "lieu," meaning "place," with "tenant," meaning "holding" or "one who holds." A lieutenant is, literally, one who holds the place of another, which is why the rank has always implied acting on someone else's authority.

Synonyms: deputyship