commandeer

verb

com·​man·​deer ˌkä-mən-ˈdir How to pronounce commandeer (audio)
commandeered; commandeering; commandeers

transitive verb

1
a
: to compel to perform military service
Civilians were commandeered by the army and forced to fight.
b
: to seize for military purposes
The soldiers commandeered civilian vehicles to help transport the injured.
2
: to take arbitrary or forcible possession of
The city commandeered 60 acres of the property by eminent domain for a new high school.

Did you know?

Military forces have always had the power to commandeer houses. The Declaration of Independence complains about the way the British soldiers have done it, and the third Amendment to the Constitution states that the commandeering of people's houses shall be done only in a way prescribed by law. Almost anything—food, supplies, livestock, etc.—can be militarily commandeered when the need arises. But you don't have to be in the military for someone to "pull rank" on you: Your father may commandeer the car just when you were about to take it out for the evening, your teacher may commandeer your cell phone as you're texting in the middle of class, or your older sister may commandeer the TV remote to watch some lousy dancing competition.

Examples of commandeer in a Sentence

The soldiers commandeered civilian vehicles to help transport the injured. an airliner commandeered by terrorists
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.
Thou shalt feel free to commandeer any assembly or conversation to that end. Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025 And such fatal bargains are all over the work of the filmmaker Paul Verhoeven, who directed RoboCop and Starship Troopers, movies in which the bodies and souls of regular people are commandeered for the benefit of the powerful. Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 21 June 2025 Donald Trump, without consulting with California’s law enforcement leaders, commandeered 2,000 of our state’s National Guard members to deploy on our streets. Illegally, and for no reason. Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 11 June 2025 Planning to open the 1,000-bed facility within days, state law enforcement officials commandeered the environmentally sensitive land, owned by Miami-Dade County, and began ushering in trucks carrying portable restrooms and industrial generators. Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for commandeer

Word History

Etymology

Afrikaans kommandeer, from French commander to command, from Old French comander

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of commandeer was in 1881

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Commandeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commandeer. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

commandeer

verb
com·​man·​deer ˌkäm-ən-ˈdi(ə)r How to pronounce commandeer (audio)
: to take possession of by force especially for military purposes

More from Merriam-Webster on commandeer

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