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Synonyms

commander

American  
[kuh-man-der, -mahn-] / kəˈmæn dər, -ˈmɑn- /

noun

  1. a person who commands.

  2. a person who exercises authority; chief officer; leader.

  3. the commissioned officer in command of a military unit.

  4. U.S. Navy. an officer ranking below a captain and above a lieutenant commander.

  5. a police officer in charge of a precinct or other unit.

  6. the chief officer of a commandery in the medieval orders of Knights Hospitalers, Knights Templars, and others.

  7. a member of one of the higher classes or ranks in certain modern fraternal orders, as in the Knights Templars.


commander British  
/ kəˈmɑːndə /

noun

  1. an officer in command of a military formation or operation

  2. a naval commissioned rank junior to captain but senior to lieutenant commander

  3. the second in command of larger British warships

  4. someone who holds authority

  5. a high-ranking member of some knightly or fraternal orders

  6. an officer responsible for a district of the Metropolitan Police in London

  7. history the administrator of a house, priory, or landed estate of a medieval religious order

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • commandership noun
  • subcommander noun
  • subcommandership noun
  • undercommander noun

Etymology

Origin of commander

1250–1300; Middle English < Old French comandere, equivalent to comand ( er ) to command + -ere < Latin -ātōr- -ator

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

These are fateful moments in the turbulent history of the Islamic Republic of Iran - but its most powerful clerics and commanders have been preparing for it.

From BBC

He surrounded himself with advisers and military commanders who kept Iran largely safe from foreign threats.

From The Wall Street Journal

Khamenei spent months at a time on the front lines, where many of the commanders and soldiers he met and knew were killed.

From BBC

According to the department, helicopters are also deployed in a variety of support roles, including transporting supplies and serving as a commander’s eyes in the sky during special events.

From Los Angeles Times

Mr. Davis is former deputy commander of U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal