commander
noun
com·mand·er
kə-ˈman-dər 
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
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
This cannot be a coincidence, a mistake, or the initiative of some lower-level commanders.
—
David Brennan, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2025
By the summer of 2022, systems like the Bayraktar TB2 became less effective as air defenses increased and commanders began spreading their forces apart.
—Joseph Nepomuceno, The Washington Examiner, 13 Sep. 2025
Now, the same institutions once intimidated by authoritarian power have declared that a former commander-in-chief conspired to revoke the 2022 election, assassinate rivals, and eventually unleash street chaos to hold on to power.
—Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
The commanders testified to the Federal Police and confirmed that Bolsonaro personally discussed the proposal with them.
—Adriana Carranca, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commander
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
David Brennan, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2025
By the summer of 2022, systems like the Bayraktar TB2 became less effective as air defenses increased and commanders began spreading their forces apart.
—Joseph Nepomuceno, The Washington Examiner, 13 Sep. 2025
Now, the same institutions once intimidated by authoritarian power have declared that a former commander-in-chief conspired to revoke the 2022 election, assassinate rivals, and eventually unleash street chaos to hold on to power.
—Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
The commanders testified to the Federal Police and confirmed that Bolsonaro personally discussed the proposal with them.
—Adriana Carranca, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commander
Cite this Entry
“Commander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commander. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share