commando

noun

com·​man·​do kə-ˈman-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce commando (audio)
plural commandos or commandoes
Synonyms of commandonext
1
South Africa
a
: a military unit or command of the Boers
b
: a raiding expedition
2
a
: a military unit trained and organized as shock troops especially for hit-and-run raids into enemy territory
b
: a member of such a unit

see also go commando

Examples of commando in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Day in, day out, American planes, drones, and commando teams go out and hunt terrorists across several continents. Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026 That turns out to be a mistake, since a commando team soon storms his island with orders to kill him on sight. Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 28 Jan. 2026 Second to going commando, these 20 lightweight, nearly invisible styles won’t let a panty line ruin your workout class (or your tailor’s hard work). Abby Morgan Lebet, InStyle, 22 Jan. 2026 Key to this is Fiennes’ commando performance, a tour de force with so few f*cks given that the film’s astonishing, electrifying climax could put him back into the awards conversation with a part that couldn’t be farther away from Conclave’s Cardinal Thomas. Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for commando

Word History

Etymology

Afrikaans kommando, from Dutch commando command, from Spanish comando, from comandar to command, from Late Latin commandare

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of commando was in 1791

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Commando.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commando. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

commando

noun
com·​man·​do kə-ˈman-dō How to pronounce commando (audio)
plural commandos or commandoes
1
: a military unit trained and organized for surprise raids
2
: a member of a commando
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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