captain 1 of 2

1
as in commander
a person in overall command of a ship the captain is responsible for everything that happens to his ship in the course of a voyage

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2
as in commandant
one in official command especially of a military force or base the captain of the largest army ever marshaled for battle in this country

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3
4

captain

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of captain
Noun
Before stepping up to assistant chief, Hennie was the captain of the Central Business Section, which includes Downtown and Mount Adams. Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Oct. 2025 After the vessel sinks, the captain and crew try to find their haul, to no success. Chrissie McClatchie, Robb Report, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
Clendenen was promoted to captain in August 2024 and served in the Eastern Division for a year before transferring to Northern. Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2025 Opposite of Gunna will be UK rapper Aitch, captaining a team that will feature former NFL QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Adam W, U.S. flag football player Ashlea Klam, Tommy Fury, SV2, Jay Cinco, Mabel, and European women’s flag football champion Phoebe Schecter. Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for captain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captain
Noun
  • Former People’s Armed Police commander Wang Chunning, also named in the statement, was removed from the national legislature last month, along with three other PLA generals.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The defense secretary and president also summoned hundreds of military commanders and leaders to Virginia at the end of September to discuss the direction of America's fighting force, including a directive for all members of the military to achieve certain levels of physical fitness.
    Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • One of their leaders, a colonel of the Russian National Guard named Sergei Dovgan, began to act as the commandant of the surrounding town.
    Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
  • The story behind how Rudolph morphed into history’s most prolific killer during his tenure as commandant of Nazi Germany’s most notorious camp is still something of a mystery to his grandson.
    Johnny Dodd, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • One of the most famous examples of a major business leader succeeding from failure was Apple’s visionary cofounder Steve Jobs.
    Sydney Lake, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The look emulated some of Queen Elizabeth’s outfits for her audiences with the leader of the Catholic Church.
    Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The Brightline runs on the route of the original Florida East Coast Railway, which was built in the late 1800s by Henry Flagler, a Standard Oil tycoon.
    Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Notable criticisms or calls for change from Sharaa’s Sunni base emerged such as Syrian tycoon Ayman al-Asfari, who was among dozens of signatories on a July 23 statement demanding an inclusive government and new constitution.
    Hassan Hassan, Time, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Hoban supervised construction of the porticoes on the north and south sides of the building that Latrobe originally designed in 1807.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The children's parents were simply socializing like normal, the man wrote, not supervising the kids at all.
    Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The plenum will be closely monitored by outsiders for clues about the inner workings of China’s opaque ruling Communist Party.
    Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2025
  • That gap to Piastri has fallen to 94, then 69, 63, and now 55; a rate that must be of concern, as much as Stella has never publicly ruled Verstappen out of the championship race.
    Luke Smith, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • An Irish drug dealer commands a billion-dollar cocaine empire from the Emirates.
    David Remnick, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Phillips, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent in March, could command a mid-round pick.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • If this were indeed the case, then the next skipper should be the exact opposite — easy on the crew and rough on the passengers.
    Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Oct. 2025
  • After the game, The skipper recounted the conversation.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Captain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captain. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

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