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

In May, the US and Nigerian forces killed senior ISIS commander Abu-Bilal al-Minuki. — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

Early in his career, Howell served under a commander whose expectations were unrelenting. — Mark Nevins, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026

German authorities said Russia organized the 2019 killing of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a former Chechen rebel commander who was shot in a Berlin park by Vadim Krasikov, a hitman who was later greeted by Putin after he was exchanged in a spy swap. — Claudia Ciobanu, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026

Military commanders, engineers, physicians, merchants, and administrators from conquered peoples could enter imperial service, demonstrating a level of social mobility uncommon in contemporary states. — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 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