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.
Retired Lieutenant General Yvan Blondin, commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force from 2012 until 2015, has advocated for a long, hard look at Canada's F-35 order. Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025 The need to shuffle the pair onto a Crew Dragon for the flight home meant the removal of the original commander of Crew-9 along with another NASA astronaut to leave room for the Starliner duo. Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 July 2025 Rutherford went on to accuse the commander of the Contra Costa County Narcotics Task Force, Norm Wielsch, of taking drugs and explosives seized from raids and giving them to Butler to sell. Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 22 July 2025 Meanwhile, Chicago Fire Fighters Union Local 2 President Pat Cleary said three ambulance commanders, 15 engineers, 44 lieutenants and 29 captains temporarily suffered incorrect paychecks too. Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 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 29 Jul. 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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