Meanings
commander1
nouncommander (plural commanders)
plural commanders
- One who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization.
I think if post commanders of the unchaplained posts could employ acceptable clergymen […] then the needs might be met.
1883, United States. War Department, Annual Reports of the War Department, volume 1, page 1281 more example
Instead, Korda squeezes Eisenhower’s extraordinary two-term presidency — not to mention his stints as president of Columbia University and commander of NATO forces — into 140 themeless pages.
2007 September 30, Douglas Brinkley, “Overlord’s Overlord”, in The New York Times - A naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain.
Shepard: I don't take orders from you anymore, remember? Anderson: Consider yourself reinstated... Commander.
2012, BioWare, Mass Effect 3 (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Earth - One who exercises control and direction over a group of persons.
- A designation or rank in certain non-military organizations such as NASA and various police forces.
- obsoleteThe chief officer of a commandry.
- A rank within an honorary order: e.g. Commander of the Legion of Honour.
- Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the Asian genus Moduza.
Commander2
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Frenchcomandeor
- Middle Englishcomaundour
- Englishcommander
From Middle English comaundour, commaunder, comaunder, borrowed from Old French comandeor, cumandeur, from comander. By surface analysis, command + -er. See command.
More words from Middle English, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans kommandeur
- kommandeura naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain
Ancient Greek κοίρανος
- κοίρανος (koíranos)one who exercises control and direction over a group of persons
Arabic آمِر, مُقَدَّم
- آمِر (ʔāmir)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- مُقَدَّم (muqaddam)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- قَائِد (qāʔid)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- قُمَنْدَان (qumandān)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Bengali কমান্ডার, সেনাপতি
- কমান্ডার (komanḍar)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- সেনাপতি (śenapoti)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Bulgarian команди́р, капита́н тре́ти ранг
- команди́р (komandír)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- капита́н тре́ти ранг (kapitán tréti rang)a naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain
- нача́лник (načálnik)one who exercises control and direction over a group of persons
Catalan comandant
- comandantone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Chinese Mandarin 司令, 司令官
- 司令 (sīlìng)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- 司令官 (sīlìngguān)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- 指揮官 /指挥官 (zhǐhuīguān)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Czech velitel, fregatní kapitán
- velitelone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- fregatní kapitána naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain
- komandéra naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain
- velitelone who exercises control and direction over a group of persons
Danish befalingsmand, kommandant
- befalingsmandone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- kommandantone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- kaptajnløjtnanta naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain
- kommandørcommander in an honorary order
Dutch commandant, bevelhebber
- commandantone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- bevelhebberone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- fregatkapiteina naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain
- kapitein-luitenant ter zeea naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain
- aanvoerderone who exercises control and direction over a group of persons
- gezagvoerdermone who exercises control and direction over a group of persons
- commandeurcommander in an honorary order
Estonian ülem, ülem
- ülemone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- ülemone who exercises control and direction over a group of persons
Finnish komentaja, komentaja
- komentajaone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- komentajaa naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain
- komentajakapteenia naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain
- johtajaone who exercises control and direction over a group of persons
- päällikköone who exercises control and direction over a group of persons
French commandant, commandante
- commandantone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- commandanteone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- capitaine de frégatea naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain
- commandeurcommander in an honorary order
German Befehlshaber, Kommandant
- Befehlshaberone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- Kommandantone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- Kommandeurone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- Kommandörone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Greek διοικητής, αρχηγός
- διοικητής (dioikitís)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- αρχηγός (archigós)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- αντιπλοίαρχος (antiploíarchos)a naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain
Hebrew מְפַקֵּד, מְפַקֶּדֶת
- מְפַקֵּד (m'fakéd)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- מְפַקֶּדֶת (mefakedet)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Hindi कमांडर, कमान अफसर
- कमांडर (kamāṇḍar)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- कमान अफसर (kamān aphsar)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- सेनापति (senāpti)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- सेनानायक (senānāyak)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- सालार (sālār)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- सलार (salār)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- सालारजंग (sālārjaṅg)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- सिपहसालार (sipahsālār)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- सरदार (sardār)one who exercises control and direction over a group of persons
Hungarian parancsnok
- parancsnokone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Icelandic yfirmaður
- yfirmaðurone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Indonesian panglima, komandan
- panglimaone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- komandanone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- mayora naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain
- komandanone who exercises control and direction over a group of persons
Irish ceannasaí, ceannasaí
- ceannasaíone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- ceannasaía naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain
Italian comandante
- comandanteone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Japanese 司令, 司令官
- 司令 (shirei)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- 司令官 (shireikan)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- 指揮官 (shikikan)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Korean 사령, 사령관
- 사령 (saryeong)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- 사령관 (saryeonggwan)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- 지휘관 (jihwigwan)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Latin imperātor, ductor
- imperātorone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- ductorone who exercises control and direction over a group of persons
- praepositusone who exercises control and direction over a group of persons
Latvian komandieris
- komandierisone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Lithuanian vadas
- vadasone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Malay komander
- komanderone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Māori toihau, kaiwhakahau
- toihauone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- kaiwhakahauone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- toihauone who exercises control and direction over a group of persons
Norwegian Bokmål kommandant, befalingsmand
- kommandantone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- befalingsmandone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- kommandøra naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain
- kommandørcommander in an honorary order
Polish dowódca
- dowódcaone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Portuguese comandante, capitão de fragata
- comandanteone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- capitão de fragataa naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain
- comandanteone who exercises control and direction over a group of persons
Punjabi ਕੁਮੇਦਾਨ
- ਕੁਮੇਦਾਨ (kumedān)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Romanian comandor
- comandorone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Russian команди́р, военача́льник
- команди́р (komandír)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- военача́льник (vojenačálʹnik)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- полково́дец (polkovódec)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- комма́ндер (kommándɛr)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- комма́ндер (kommándɛr)a naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain
- капита́н тре́тьего ра́нга (kapitán trétʹjevo ránga)a naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain
- команди́р (komandír)one who exercises control and direction over a group of persons
- нача́льник (načálʹnik)one who exercises control and direction over a group of persons
Scottish Gaelic ceannard, ceannard
- ceannardone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- ceannardone who exercises control and direction over a group of persons
Slovak veliteľ
- veliteľone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Spanish comandante, comandante
- comandanteone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- comandanteone who exercises control and direction over a group of persons
Swahili kamanda
- kamandaone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Swedish befälhavare, kommendant
- befälhavareone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- kommendantone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Thai ผู้บัญชาการ, นาวาโท
- ผู้บัญชาการ (pûu-ban-chaa-gaan)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- นาวาโท (naa-waa-too)a naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain
Turkish komutan, kumandan
- komutanone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- kumandanone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Ukrainian команди́р, воєнача́льник
- команди́р (komandýr)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- воєнача́льник (vojenačálʹnyk)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- полково́дець (polkovódecʹ)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- кома́ндувач (kománduvač)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- кома́ндер (kománder)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- кома́ндер (kománder)a naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain
Urdu کَمانْڈَر, اَمِیر
- کَمانْڈَر (kamānḍar)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- اَمِیر (amīr)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- سالار (sālār)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- فَرْمان دِہْ (farmān dih)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Vietnamese người chỉ huy, tư lệnh
- người chỉ huyone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
- tư lệnhone who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Yiddish קאָמאַנדיר
- קאָמאַנדיר (komandir)one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with commander
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
commander. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/commander
MLA
“commander.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/commander. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “commander,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/commander.
Source: commander on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.