1. a junior commissioned officer in the navy, ranking below lieutenant
Usage: nautical; British

Examples

• The sublieutenant was assigned to the navigation department.
• After graduating from the naval academy, she was commissioned as a sublieutenant.
• The sublieutenant reported directly to the ship’s lieutenant.
• He served as a sublieutenant for two years before his promotion.
• The young sublieutenant was eager to prove himself on his first deployment.
• Several sublieutenants attended the briefing on naval procedures.