Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General.
A Lieutenant General normally ranks immediately below a General and above a Major General. The term Major General is a shortened version of the previous term Sergeant Major General, which was turn subordinate to Lieutenant General, which is why a Lieutenant General outranks a Major General whereas a Major is senior to a Lieutenant.
In many countries, a rank of Corps General has replaced the earlier rank of Lieutenant-General (eg. France). However, for convenience, this is often translated into English as Lieutenant General.