command

verb com·mand \ kə-ˈmand \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

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

The shirts worn ranged from the 1993/94 campaign through to 2016/17 and each commanded an auction price of between €500 and €1,700, raising a total of €9,500.

— SI.com, "Udinese Players Wore 11 Different Shirts for Serie A Clash With Lazio in Unique Fundraiser," 9 Apr. 2018
He neither commands nor demands recognition, soft-spoken, polite, deferential to stars in a league of stars.

— ira winderman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Rodney McGruder stands as Heat playoff safety net," 5 Apr. 2018
With analytics increasingly a moving force behind on-field decisions, the ability to nurture young players and command the clubhouse moves to the forefront.

— dom amore, courant.com, "Warren Schaeffer Brings Personal Touch To Managing Yard Goats," 4 Apr. 2018
There is a very big difference between the Confederacy’s commanding general and the 25th U.S. president.

— karl rove, WSJ, "The Pitchforks Are Out for McKinley," 4 Apr. 2018
Henson’s commanding performance brings nuance to a character who would otherwise seem one-note; the movie is a better showcase for her talent than the rote action flick Proud Mary, which came out earlier this year.

— ben sachs, Chicago Reader, "Film Tyler Perry's Acrimony is my new guilty pleasure," 4 Apr. 2018
More apartments coming There are more than 2,000 new apartments expected to open this year, with most in downtown and commanding high rents.

— phillip molnar, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego average rent up to $1,887, breaking record. Will it last?," 3 Apr. 2018
The program was timely in that a Liberty County Historical Marker was dedicated on March 3 to the Moss Bluff Rebels, which was commanded by Duncan who was voted to replace its organizer, Ashley Spaight, after he was promoted to lieutenant colonel.

— community report, Houston Chronicle, "Dayton historians learn about life of Confederate captain," 2 Apr. 2018
Crowley, now in his 10th term, is well-liked by his colleagues and is a shrewd operator, commanding one of New York City’s last political machines.

— chris smith, The Hive, "“I Just Wish You Were Not with Pelosi”: The War to Oust Pelosi Is Already Raging . . . on the Left," 30 Mar. 2018

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

command Synonyms

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 (1) : a signal that actuates a device (such as a control mechanism in a spacecraft or one step in a computer)

(2) : the activation of a device by means of such a signal

(3) : a line of code (see ¹code 5) instructing a computer to send 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

Rosenstein's personal involvement in the decision signals that the evidence seen by law enforcement officials was significant enough to persuade the Justice Department's second-in-command that such an aggressive move was necessary.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Raid on Trump’s lawyer sought records of payments to women," 10 Apr. 2018
Officially, the bureau is in the process of hiring a chief operating officer: the agency’s second- in-command.

— adrian walker, BostonGlobe.com, "In boosting Boston, little emphasis on diversity," 9 Apr. 2018
Second in command The Lions didn’t splurge on any big signings in free agency, but rather are expecting a handful of their 2017 rookies to take a major step forward this fall.

— dave birkett, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Lions open offseason workouts on Monday: 5 things to watch," 8 Apr. 2018
Through two rounds, Reed has been in command of his game.

— steve dimeglio, USA TODAY, "Masters: Tiger Woods has work to do on moving day, which could be a rainy one at Augusta," 7 Apr. 2018
Facebook’s second in command Sheryl Sandberg said Friday that users wanting to opt out of having their data used by advertisers will have to pay for that assurance.

— bradford betz, Fox News, "Facebook users should expect to pay for privacy, Sandberg says," 7 Apr. 2018
In 1845, Arctic veteran Sir John Franklin departed Britain in command of two ships, the HMS Terror and Erebus, to seek the fabled Northwest Passage in the Arctic.

— kat eschner, Smithsonian, "Tales of the Doomed Franklin Expedition Long Ignored the Inuit Side, But “The Terror” Flips the Script," 6 Apr. 2018
Viacom’s board made clear the offer was a non-starter, and is expected to make a counter-offer that would include a leading role for Mr Bakish, probably as second-in-command after Mr Moonves.

— The Economist, "Viacom rejects a merger with CBS," 5 Apr. 2018
The Saints were brushed aside in the opening period by their fellow Premier League strugglers as goals from Joao Mario and Marko Arnautovic put the hosts in command before the interval.

— SI.com, "Mark Hughes Hits Out at Poor Saints Showing in 3-0 Defeat to Fellow Strugglers West Ham," 1 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of command

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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command Synonyms

Synonyms

arm, authority, clutch, control, death grip, dominion, grip, hold, mastery, power, reign, rein(s), sway;

Antonyms

impotence, impotency, powerlessness;

Near Antonyms

helplessness, weakness;

jurisdiction;

direction, management;

dominance, imperium, predominance, sovereignty (also sovranty), supremacy;

prerogative, privilege, right;

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

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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COMMAND Defined for English Language Learners

command

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

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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command

Definition of command

commandable

Examples of command in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of command

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Synonyms

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command

Definition of command

Examples of command in a Sentence

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command Synonyms

Synonyms

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Synonym Discussion of command

Other Military Terms

command

Definition of command

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COMMAND Defined for English Language Learners

command

Definition of command for English Language Learners

command

Definition of command for English Language Learners

COMMAND Defined for Kids

command

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command

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