commander in chief

A form of commander-in-chief — Supreme commander of the armed forces of an entire country.

Meanings

nouncommander in chief (plural commanders in chief)

plural commanders in chief

  1. alternativeAlternative form of commander-in-chief.
    1 more example

    The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

    1787, Philadelphia Convention, “Article II, Section 2”, in Constitution of the United States of America, Philadelphia

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe officer who holds the supreme command

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Cite this entry
APA

commander in chief. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/commander%20in%20chief

MLA

“commander in chief.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/commander%20in%20chief. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “commander in chief,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/commander%20in%20chief.

Source: commander in chief on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.