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

Specifically the commander-in-chief orders a strike against Russian satellites, a disproportionate response that is certain to spark global warfare. —Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2026

Mikkelsen will take the role of mission commander and Philips the role of pilot. —Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026

Ground teams regained communications with Orion commander Reid Wiseman after a six-minute blackout. —Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 11 Apr. 2026

President Ahmed al-Sharaa is a one-time al-Qaeda commander who renounced the ideology before taking power. —Jane Arraf, NPR, 11 Apr. 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