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

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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 production is one reason at least one team captain thinks this is the best TCU defense in years.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2026
  • That night, it would be signed by the oceanographer, former Navy captain, and retired astronaut Kathryn Sullivan—the first person to both walk in outer space and visit the deepest point of the ocean, in the Mariana Trench.
    — Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 12 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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