commander

noun

com·​mand·​er kə-ˈman-dər 

1

: one in an official position of command or control: such as

a

: commanding officer

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

kə-ˈman-dər-ˌship 

noun

Synonyms

• captain
• commandant
• commanding officer

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

Smith said he was made aware of the plan during a meeting with the commander of U.S. Northern Command, Gen. Gregory M. Guillot. —David Catanese, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025

Special ops commanders say America is struggling to keep up with adversaries in the technological field Rear Adm. Milton Sands III, Maj. Gen. Peter Huntley, Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga and Lt. Gen. Michael Conley urged Congress to take action to help U.S. troops advance. —Rachel Wolf, Fox News, 27 Feb. 2025

The colleague who Gracie more or less caused to get shot by acting impulsively is stable (yay), but Gracie’s still on the outs with her commander. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2025

Likewise, Ukrainian battlefield commanders, although not without failures, have been more competent and considerate of the lives of soldiers than have Russia’s. —Mick Ryan, Foreign Affairs, 21 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing commander

• commander in chief
• lieutenant commander
• wing commander

Rhymes for commander

• bystander
• expander
• highlander
• leander
• meander
• philander
• brander
• candor
• dander
• gander
• grander
• hander

Kids Definition

commander

noun

com·​mand·​er kə-ˈman-dər 

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

-ˌship 

noun