commanding officer

Definition of commanding officernext
as in commander
one in official command especially of a military force or base reported directly to the fort's commanding officer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 commanding officer Standard Starfleet protocol would usually dictate that the Enterprise intervene to prevent the Dol'Drm being destroyed by stolen Federation technology, but its commanding officer sees the bigger picture. — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 23 July 2026 Steve Yargosz, the commanding officer at Great Lakes, found a way to partner with the city of North Chicago and Lake County to remove the houses and deal with potential contamination of the land. — Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026 The incident occurred while Scheublin had authority over his victim as the commanding officer at the 46th Precinct, prosecutors said, outlining the encounter in detail. — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 10 July 2026 Gabriel Edwards, the commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5, was reported missing after the July 1 incident. — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for commanding officer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanding officer
Noun
  • Larry Baimbridge spent thirty-one years with the Houston Police Department, including stints as a homicide detective and as commander of the SWAT team.
    — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Tom Waits lends his feral baritone to a commander of a coyote military brigade.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • When seven prisoners break out of the camp, Fahrenberg, the commandant, has the trees shorn of their branches and turned into crosses.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • According to this order, the prisoner is informed of the president's decision in person by the commandant, who is accompanied by a chaplain and, if available, a defense attorney.
    — Meagan Harris, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Commanding officer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanding%20officer. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster