commander

noun

com·​mand·​er kə-ˈman-dər 

1

: one in an official position of command or control: such as

a

: commanding officer

b

: the presiding officer of a society or organization

2

: a commissioned officer in the navy or coast guard ranking above a lieutenant commander and below a captain

commandership

kə-ˈman-dər-ˌship 

noun

Synonyms of commander

• commandant

Examples of commander in a Sentence

a surrender of the fort by the commander without a single shot having been fired

the intrepid commander of the HMS Surprise

Recent Examples on the Web

The Kremlin said Russian military commanders briefed Russian President Vladimir Putin on the attacks and said Moscow would continue increasing pressure on Ukraine to achieve its war aims. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026

The Kremlin said Russian military commanders briefed President Vladimir Putin about the Russian attacks, adding that Moscow would continue to increase pressure on Ukraine to achieve its war aims. — Gleb Garanich, USA Today, 2 July 2026

Captain Thomas Fitzherbert, commander of the 64-gun HMS Raisonnable, chased the Dalton for seven hours on Christmas Eve 1776 before capturing her off the coast of Portugal. — ABC News, 2 July 2026

Agamemnon is the commander of the Greek army that fights the Trojan War for the recovery of Menelaus’s wife, Helen. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing commander

• commander in chief
• lieutenant commander
• wing commander

Rhymes for commander

• bystander
• expander
• highlander
• leander
• meander
• philander
• brander
• candor
• dander
• gander
• grander
• hander

Kids Definition

commander

noun

com·​mand·​er kə-ˈman-dər 

1

: one in official command especially of a military force or base

2

: a naval commissioned officer with a rank just below that of captain

commandership

-ˌship 

noun