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
as in leader
the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do
we only do what the captain tells us to, so it's not our fault when things don't work out
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4
as in tycoon
a person of rank, power, or influence in a particular field
a fascinating magazine article profiling the captains of the American auto industry
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1
as in to supervise
to be in charge of
if you do well on this, you'll be asked to captain the next mission
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2
as in to rule
to exercise authority or power over
captained the project for a few days while the boss was out of town
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3
as in to command
to serve as leader of
you did a good job of captaining the team
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Cite this Entry
“Captain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captain. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.
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