commander

noun

com·​mand·​er kə-ˈman-dər How to pronounce commander (audio)
1
: one in an official position of command or control: such as
b
: the presiding officer of a society or organization
2
: a commissioned officer in the navy or coast guard ranking above a lieutenant commander and below a captain
commandership noun

Examples of commander in a Sentence

a surrender of the fort by the commander without a single shot having been fired the intrepid commander of the HMS Surprise
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Tom Sharpe, former United Kingdom Royal Navy commander, reiterated this point. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025 Murder, torture, rape and summary executions of prisoners of war ordered by commanders. Askold Haywas, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025 Included among dozens of other characters are a submarine commander and his crew, a creepy coroner, a sweaty spy, an American flyboy, and even the soon-to-be spy novelist Ian Fleming. Frank Rizzo, Variety, 21 Mar. 2025 President Prabowo Subianto, who took office last October and was a special forces commander under Suharto, has been expanding the armed forces’ role into what were considered civilian areas, including his flagship program of free meals for children. Reuters, NBC News, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for commander

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of commander was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Commander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commander. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

commander

noun
com·​mand·​er kə-ˈman-dər How to pronounce commander (audio)
1
: one in official command especially of a military force or base
2
: a naval commissioned officer with a rank just below that of captain
commandership noun

More from Merriam-Webster on commander

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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