command

play

verb com·mand \ kə-ˈmand \

Definition of command

transitive verb

1 :to direct authoritatively :order

commanded adherence to the rules

2 :to exercise a dominating influence over :have command of: such 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 given

intransitive verb

1 :to have or exercise direct authority :govern

The king knows how to command well.

2 :to give orders

The master commands, and the servants obey.

3 :to be commander

The general will command at the western front.

4 :to dominate as if from an elevated place

—

commandable

play \kə-ˈman-də-bəl\ adjective

See command defined for English-language learners

See command defined for kids

Examples of command in a Sentence

She commanded us to leave.
Military leaders commanded the troops to open fire.
She commanded that work on the bridge cease immediately.
We had no choice but to do as they commanded.
He commands a platoon of 60.
With his skills and experience, he can command a high salary.
The company commands much power and influence in the business world.

Recent Examples of command from the Web

Compare that with the massive statues along Monument Avenue in Richmond, the former capital of the Confederacy, where Gen. Robert E. Lee commands a 60-foot-high view of the city.

— petula dvorak, Washington Post, "America’s missing slave memorials: It’s time to truly acknowledge our bloody past," 28 Aug. 2017
See, for several examples, that 2009 New Yorker profile, sprinkled throughout with instances of Arpaio worming his way toward being close to celebrities, and commanding media presence at various cruel stunts.

— danielle tcholakian, Longreads, "The Collected Crimes of Sheriff Joe Arpaio," 26 Aug. 2017
The movie had shaken me, commanding my attention with a brilliant interplay of camerawork, editing, music, and performance.

— ben sachs, Chicago Reader, "Crime / Film The darkly comic crime drama Good Time is an empty provocation," 17 Aug. 2017
The museum, opening September 22, commands the first seven levels, the hotel—a surprisingly happy combination of industrial chic and chandeliered opulence—the top eight.

— klara glowczewska, Town & Country, "A New Cape Town Museum Will Showcase African Contemporary Art," 16 Aug. 2017
Larson is gently commanding in these scenes, giving Jeannette a weathered, sad, wise-beyond-her-years intelligence that’s a good balance to Harrelson’s histrionics.

— richard lawson, vanityfair.com, "The Glass Castle Review: An Adaptation That’s Not Nearly Shattering Enough," 7 Aug. 2017
Despite Trump’s low approval ratings and the relentless developments involving Russia’s election meddling — which now feature Donald Trump Jr. in a starring role — the president still commands loyalty from a significant slice of the GOP base.

— Washington Post, "Washington braces for a long, hot summer slog of politics," 12 July 2017
The Dion Lee piece commands attention against her black shorts and strappy sandals, and the tie at the waist hangs down past her knees.

— suzannah weiss, Teen Vogue, "Kendall Jenner Wears Long Yellow Sweater in Paris," 4 July 2017
Hayward is one of the marquee names in free agency this year and is expected to command a maximum contract.

— terrance harris, The Seattle Times, "Tatum hits go-ahead shot as Celtics edge Fultz, 76ers," 3 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'command.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of command

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

command Synonyms

Synonyms

adjure, bid, boss (around), charge, direct, enjoin, instruct, order, tell

Antonyms

mind, obey

Related Words

ask, petition, request; beg, beseech, entreat; advise, counsel, warn; appoint, assign, authorize, commission; oversee, superintend, supervise; conduct, control, lead, manage; coerce, compel, constrain, force, oblige, require

Near Antonyms

comply (with), follow, keep, observe

Synonym Discussion of command

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

command

noun

Definition of command

1 a :an order given

The command was to hold fire.

a dog trained to attack on command [=in response to a command]

b :a signal that actuates a device (such as a control mechanism in a spacecraft or one step in a computer); also :the activation of a device by means of such a signal

2 a :the ability to control :mastery

She was in command of her emotions.

b :the authority or right to command

the officer in command

c (1) :the power to dominate

The fort has command of the valley.

(2) :scope of vision

The tower provides a wide command of the neighboring hills.

d :facility in use

a good command of French

e :control 1d

a pitcher with good command of his curveball

3 :the act of commanding

The troops will charge at command.

4 :the personnel, area, or organization under a commander; specifically :a unit of the U.S. Air Force higher than an air force

5 :a position of highest usually military authority

He was relieved of his command after being charged with misconduct.

See command defined for English-language learners

Examples of command in a Sentence

We are expected to obey his commands.
She shouted out commands to the crew.
We started to teach the dog simple commands like “sit” and “lie down.”
You can perform several actions with keyboard commands.
The system recognizes voice commands.
He was relieved of his command after being charged with misconduct.
Who is the officer in command of the unit?
I assumed command of the business after my father's death.
He immediately took command of the situation.
He finally felt in command of his life.

Recent Examples of command from the Web

The Navy last week said the Fitzgerald's captain was being relieved of his command and other sailors were being punished after poor seamanship and flaws in keeping watch were found to have contributed to its collision.

— Bloomberg.com, "U.S. Navy 7th Fleet Commander to Be Removed," 23 Aug. 2017
The only logical reason to have such a weapon was to use it first in a nuclear war, as a surprise weapon meant to destroy American leadership and nuclear command and control systems.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The Secret Soviet Space Weapon Mistaken for a UFO," 23 Aug. 2017
But Peralta struggled with his command after striking out his first batter, giving up three straight hits to tie the game and then a two-run double to put the Cubs ahead 8-6.

— zach buchanan, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati Reds recap: Homer Bailey injured, bullpen implodes," 22 Aug. 2017
Back in Afghanistan, Aminyar was assigned to Shindand Air Base, near the Iranian border, to take command of a company of special operations soldiers known as the Mobile Strike Force.

— brian castner, Esquire, "The Fight of His Life," 16 Aug. 2017
Police say Hubbard ignored the officer’s commands and the situation turned volatile soon after.

— veronica hilbring, Essence.com, "Video Shows White Cop Beating Black Motorist During Routine Traffic Stop," 16 Aug. 2017
While Lady didn’t last long on the show (Ned Stark was forced to execute the poor pup in place of Nymeria at Cersei’s command back in season one), Zunni, who played her for two episodes, is still very much part of the Thrones family.

— peggy truong, Cosmopolitan, "26 Mind-Blowing Game of Thrones Facts Only a Superfan Would Know," 16 Aug. 2017
Somebody with magnificent land-surveying skills was involved in this building work for no other reason than sheer prestige and to signal command and ability.

— michael price, Science | AAAS, "Thousand-year-old Viking fortress reveals a technologically advanced society," 16 Aug. 2017
Coordination and communication between the French and British armies broke down almost immediately; within a few days, most phone and supply lines had been cut, and the Allied command system had virtually ceased to function.

— Longreads, "Whose Fault Was Dunkirk?," 7 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of command

15th century

command Synonyms

Synonyms

behest, charge, commandment, decree, dictate, direction, directive, do, edict, imperative, injunction, instruction, order, word

Antonyms

impotence, impotency, powerlessness

Related Words

demand, requirement; mandate; countermand, counterorder; law, precept, prescript, prescription, rule; ordinance, regulation, statute

Near Antonyms

appeal, entreaty, petition, plea, urging; proposal, recommendation, suggestion

Synonym Discussion of command

power, authority, jurisdiction, control, command, sway, dominion mean the right to govern or rule or determine. power implies possession of ability to wield force, authority, or influence.

- the power to mold public opinion

authority implies power for a specific purpose within specified limits.

- granted the authority to manage her estate

jurisdiction applies to official power exercised within prescribed limits.

- the bureau having jurisdiction over parks

control stresses the power to direct and restrain.

- you are responsible for the students under your control

command implies the power to make arbitrary decisions and compel obedience.

- the army officer in command

sway suggests the extent of exercised power or influence.

- the empire extended its sway over the region

dominion stresses sovereign power or supreme authority.

- given dominion over all the animals

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

command

adjective

Definition of command

:done on command or request

a command performance

First Known Use of command

1826

COMMAND Defined for English Language Learners

command

play

verb

Definition of command for English Language Learners

: to give (someone) an order : to tell (someone) to do something in a forceful and often official way
: to have authority and control over (a group of people, such as soldiers)
: to deserve or be able to get or receive (something)

command

noun

Definition of command for English Language Learners

: an order given to a person or animal to do something
: an instruction in the form of a code or signal that tells a computer to do something
: the power that someone (such as a military officer) has to give orders and to control a group of people

COMMAND Defined for Kids

command

play

verb com·mand \ kə-ˈmand \

Definition of command for Students

commanded; commanding

1 :to order with authority

The king commanded them to leave.

2 :to have power or control over :be commander of

He commands an army.

3 :to demand as right or due :exact

A piano teacher commands a high fee.

4 :to survey from a good position

The fort is on a hill that commands a view of the city.

Word Root of command

The Latin word mandāre, meaning “to commit” or “to order,” gives us the root mand. Words from the Latin mandāre have something to do with committing or ordering. When a task is mandatory, someone has ordered that it must be done. To command is to order someone to do something. A mandate is an order from an authority to follow specific instructions.

command

noun

Definition of command for Students

1 :an order given

Obey her command.

2 :the authority, right, or power to command :control

The troops are under my command.

3 :the ability to control and use :mastery

She has a good command of the language.

4 :the people, area, or unit (as of soldiers and weapons) under a commander

5 :a position from which military operations are directed

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Definition of command

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command

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command

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