commander

1 of 2

noun (1)

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

commandership

2 of 2

noun (2)

com·​mand·​er·​ship kə-ˈman-dər-ˌship 

: the rank or title of commander

Synonyms of commander

Noun (1)

• commandant

Examples of commander in a Sentence

Noun (1)

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

Noun

Deploying the largest military machine in history is the most serious task faced by the United States’ commander-in-chief. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 17 July 2026

McDivitt served as mission commander for Gemini IV and photographed the first American spacewalk, conducted by command pilot Edward White. — Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 16 July 2026

Syrsky is known as a more traditional commander, and his reforms have focused on forming new infantry assault groups and procuring traditional weapons. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 16 July 2026

The threat to Trump’s life from Tehran, which dates back to his 2020 authorization of the drone strike that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, spilled into public view in Turkey earlier this month. — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 15 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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