COMMANDING OFFICER Synonyms: 6 Similar Words

commanding officer

noun

as in commander

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

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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 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 Soldiers submitted ballots to be counted and recorded by commanding officers, and their votes played an important role in the reelection of Abraham Lincoln. — Jamie Rowen, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for commanding officer

Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanding officer

Noun

Last month, a court in The Hague, Netherlands, found former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and three other former Kosovo Liberation Army commanders guilty of war crimes committed during the 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
Its ability to perform different missions allows commanders to employ the weapon against changing threats.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of commander

Noun

Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo ordered the immediate suspension of Niger ‌State’s ⁠NSCDC commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, pending the outcome of a full investigation.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
Instead, Collin makes much of Prussian military aristocrats who feel more disdain than love for Hitler, especially General Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel, the military commandant of Paris from 1942 to 1944.

— David Denby, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of commandant

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commanding

commanding officer

commanding officers

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“Commanding officer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanding%20officer. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of commanding officer

noun

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