Main Entry: ¹com·mand

Pronunciation: \kə-ˈmand\

Function: verb

Etymology: Middle English comanden, from Anglo-French cumander, from Vulgar Latin *commandare, alteration of Latin commendare to commit to one's charge — more at commend

Date: 14th century

transitive verb 1 : to direct authoritatively : order
2 : to exercise a dominating influence over : have command of: as a : to have at one's immediate disposal <commands many resources> b : to demand or receive as one's due <commands a high fee> c : to overlook or dominate from or as if from a strategic position <a hill that commands the city> d : to have military command of as senior officer <command a regiment>
3 obsolete : to order or request to be givenintransitive verb 1 : to have or exercise direct authority : govern
2 : to give orders
3 : to be commander
4 : to dominate as if from an elevated place

— com·mand·able \-ˈman-də-bəl\ adjective

synonyms command, order, bid, enjoin, direct, instruct, charge mean to issue orders. command and order imply authority and usually some degree of formality and impersonality. command stresses official exercise of authority <a general commanding troops>. order may suggest peremptory or arbitrary exercise <ordered his employees about like slaves>. bid suggests giving orders peremptorily (as to children or servants) <she bade him be seated>. enjoin implies giving an order or direction authoritatively and urgently and often with admonition or solicitude <a sign enjoining patrons to be quiet>. direct and instruct both connote expectation of obedience and usually concern specific points of procedure or method, instruct sometimes implying greater explicitness or formality <directed her assistant to hold all calls> <the judge instructed the jury to ignore the remark>. charge adds to enjoin an implication of imposing as a duty or responsibility <charged by the President with a secret mission>.