commander

noun

kə-ˈman-dər How to pronounce commander (audio)
Definition of commandernext
1
as in commandant
one in official command especially of a military force or base a surrender of the fort by the commander without a single shot having been fired

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2
as in captain
a person in overall command of a ship the intrepid commander of the HMS Surprise

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of commander Ukraine has liberated 107 square miles in the operation that started in the summer, Third Army Corps commander Brig. — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 Ann Mannix rose steadily through the ranks, from lieutenant in 2003 to commander in 2015 and to deputy chief in 2018. — Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026 The commander, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe battlefield details, said rebel forces were surprisingly large, and bolstered by medium and short-range ballistic missiles. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 This time, the direct commander of the operation arrested the officer who ordered the massacre and complained about him. — Tamir Sorek, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for commander
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commander
  1. commandant
  2. captain
  3. skipper
Noun
  • When seven prisoners break out of the camp, Fahrenberg, the commandant, has the trees shorn of their branches and turned into crosses.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • According to this order, the prisoner is informed of the president's decision in person by the commandant, who is accompanied by a chaplain and, if available, a defense attorney.
    — Meagan Harris, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of commandant
Noun
  • The captain thrummed the engine to steady the vessel against the incoming tide.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The driver was cooperating with officers, said Moses, the police captain.
    — Maggie Vespa, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of captain
Noun
  • But the visitors got off to a slow start after losing in-form skipper Shai Hope for just five runs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Judge, along with Michael Schuck, the club’s director of sports medicine and rehabilitation, conferred with the skipper.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of skipper

Phrases Containing commander

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commandeers
commander
commander in chief
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Cite this Entry

“Commander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commander. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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