commander in chief

noun phrase

: one who holds the supreme command of an armed force

Examples of commander in chief in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The Democrats shouldn’t be shocked that after insisting that Joe Biden was hale and hearty and fit to serve as commander in chief until January 2029, the public ... Rich Lowry, National Review, 18 Mar. 2025 At his confirmation hearing to be secretary, Hegseth said the military's strongest recruiting asset was the commander in chief himself. Chris Boccia, ABC News, 18 Mar. 2025 Kimmel said in a barb directed at the then-former commander in chief, after reading some of Trump’s social media posts panning his hosting efforts. Judy Kurtz, The Hill, 3 Mar. 2025 As commander in chief, my focus is on building the most powerful military of the future. CBS News, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for commander in chief

Word History

First Known Use

1654, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of commander in chief was in 1654

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Cite this Entry

“Commander in chief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commander%20in%20chief. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

commander in chief

: one who holds the supreme command of an armed force

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