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

Elizabeth Piowaty, an aircraft commander involved in the rescue operation, told reporters Wednesday. —David K. Li, NBC news, 13 May 2026

Newton is the commander of the DFW Mid-Cities Chapter 1513 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, a veterans service organization for combat wounded veterans. —Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 May 2026

Swedish troops have potential but need to improve their drones and tactics and commanders need a deeper understanding of drone warfare, said another pilot with the call sign Karat. —ABC News, 12 May 2026

Joey Nickischer, a commander of the Putnam County Technical Rescue Team, was on site for Rudy's rescue and told Times Union that the team was concerned the pup might react anxiously or aggressively, but Rudy was well-behaved. —Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 12 May 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