commander in chief

noun phrase

: one who holds the supreme command of an armed force

Examples of commander in chief in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Either way, how many missiles Ukraine ends up with should remain murky to dissuade Russia from launching its persistent cruise missile attacks on its neighbor, Dan Rice, a former aide to Ukraine's commander in chief and the president of American University Kyiv, told . Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025 The administration has said the president took action under his Article 2 powers as commander in chief and in self-defense. Ryan Lucas, NPR, 30 Sep. 2025 The Boss is taking on the commander in chief – again. Edward Segarra, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025 At seventy-nine, the commander in chief looked awful, his jowly, glowering face more tired and orange than ever, his porcine eyes extra puffy. Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for commander in chief

Word History

First Known Use

1654, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of commander in chief was in 1654

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Cite this Entry

“Commander in chief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commander%20in%20chief. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

commander in chief

: one who holds the supreme command of an armed force

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