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

• 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 President is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, not an Oregon judge. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2025

Her commander called her the best battalion officer in the brigade. —Arman Khan, Them., 3 Oct. 2025

It’s command structure also transcends traditional nation-state borders by integrating Iranian, Lebanese and Iraqi commanders. —Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025

What's new Daily physical training will be required of every service member and will be enforced by their commanders. —Luis Martinez, ABC News, 1 Oct. 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