commando

noun

com·​man·​do kə-ˈman-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce commando (audio)
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 Among those attending that critical meeting: Rodolphe Jaar, who hosted the gathering; Rivera, the Colombian commando leader; James Solages, a Haitian American; and Joseph Vincent, a Haitian American who previously worked as an informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration. Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024 Decades earlier, on December 29, 1968, an Israeli commando team had descended onto Lebanon’s airport and destroyed 13 civilian aircraft—in retaliation, Israel said, for an earlier attack on a civilian El Al flight by Palestinian militants based in Lebanon. Kim Ghattas, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2024 The military has gradually opened up 90 percent of its roles to women but they are still excluded from frontline combat roles in the main infantry units and some of the most elite commando units that traditionally operate across enemy lines in wartime. Isabel Kershner Avishag Shaar-Yashuv, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2024 Their future is uncertain, but most are unwilling to return home while Hezbollah and its dangerous Radwan commando force remain just on the other side of the border. Neri Zilber, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Nov. 2023 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, 5 Mar. 2024 Under the cover of drones, commandos and the elite 3rd Assault Brigade, the Ukrainian army’s 110th Mechanized Brigade retreated from Avdiivka on Friday, bringing to an end a brutal four-month battle. David Axe, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2024 But even as pilots drop bombs and commandos flush out Hamas’s tunnels, the Israeli government has not reckoned with the enmity that produced the attack—or what policies might prevent another. Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 7 Feb. 2024 Known for beheadings and mass killings, these were ex Army commandos and cartel hitmen who had cornered the lucrative market of kidnapping and extorting migrants on their way to the U.S. Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'commando.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of commando was in 1839

Dictionary Entries Near commando

Cite this Entry

“Commando.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commando. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

commando

noun
com·​man·​do kə-ˈman-dō How to pronounce commando (audio)
plural commandos or commandoes
1
: a military unit trained and organized for surprise raids
2
: a member of a commando
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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