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

Three astronauts - commander Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng - were the first three-person crew to fly in space for China's space program. — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 25 Sep. 2026

The Russian military has sought to weaponize Ukraine prisoners of war by forcing them to denounce their commanders, government and homeland in propaganda videos reaching new audiences in the age of social media. — Yasmin Vossoughian, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2026

While the Constitution says only Congress can declare war, the president as commander-in-chief is also able to engage the military. — Lisa Mascaro, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026

His dealership in The Hague was taken over by Nazis and 1,113 pieces of artwork were transported to Germany and later sold to Hermann Göring, a powerful figure in the Nazi Party with the title of supreme commander of the air force. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 23 Sep. 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