commander

noun

com·​mand·​er kə-ˈman-dər How to pronounce commander (audio)
1
: one in an official position of command or control: such as
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 noun

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 The promotions continued: Bettison eventually rose to inspector, captain, commander, deputy chief and, eventually, first assistant chief in 2021, the city said. Andrea May Sahouri, Detroit Free Press, 25 Oct. 2024 All of which means that, as one former submarine commander explained in a recent conversation, over days, weeks and months under the oceans, keeping a rational sense of perspective on ordinary and decent human interactions can become difficult. Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 Seven brigade commanders, 21 battalion commanders and 24 company commanders for Hezbollah were killed in its ongoing operations, the IDF said. David Brennan, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2024 Israel took out several Hamas and Hezbollah commanders in the first six months of the war. Barak Ravid, Axios, 20 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for commander 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'commander.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of commander was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near commander

Cite this Entry

“Commander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commander. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

commander

noun
com·​mand·​er kə-ˈman-dər How to pronounce commander (audio)
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 noun

More from Merriam-Webster on commander

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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