commando

noun

com·​man·​do kə-ˈman-(ˌ)dō 

plural commandos or commandoes

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

Phrases

go commando

slang : to wear no underwear

Examples of commando in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There were two groups of commandos, each with 14 teams of four to six members. —Yossi Melman, ProPublica, 7 Aug. 2025

Israel reportedly smuggled weapons into Iran that then took out air defenses—paving the way for Israeli warplanes—while commandos targeted anti-aircraft sites in central Iran. —Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025

One clip shows at least two commandos reportedly launching missiles inside Iran, while other footage shows steady, homed-in hits to Iran’s defense systems. —Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 13 June 2025

The remaining five defendants are charged with conspiring in South Florida to kidnap or kill Haiti’s leader and related charges, including recruiting the Colombian commandos. —Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for commando

• afterglow
• akimbo
• albino
• aliquot
• allegro
• amigo
• apropos
• audio
• bungalow
• calico
• calypso
• cameo

Kids Definition

commando

noun

com·​man·​do kə-ˈman-dō 

plural commandos or commandoes

1

: a military unit trained and organized for surprise raids

2

: a member of a commando