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

The earlier version stopped short of banning the symbols, instead saying that commanders could take steps to remove them from public view and that the rule did not apply to private spaces outside of public view, such as family housing. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 22 Nov. 2025

In August, the commander of Ukraine’s 93rd Brigade battalion told CNN that Rubicon units had been integrated with Russian brigades in the Kostiantynivka area of Donetsk. —Tim Lister, CNN Money, 22 Nov. 2025

Trump, a 79-year-old Queens native, is the oldest person elected to be commander-in-chief. —Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 21 Nov. 2025

Assault units are being deployed to reinforce the sector, with commanders taking steps to improve tactical positions. —Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025

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