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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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 To ensure compliance, three imperial princes were tasked with personally notifying senior Japanese military commanders of the surrender. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2026 Fire crews continued to make progress battling three wildfires overnight, strengthening containment lines and mopping up a spot fire, an incident commander said Tuesday. — Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 4 Aug. 2026 During the near-disastrous Apollo 13 mission in 1970, commander Jim Lovell was informed of the successful impact while piloting his crippled spacecraft around the moon. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 4 Aug. 2026 For commanders at Fort Hood, the recruiting rebound is about more than reaching a numerical goal. — Brooke Taylor, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for commander
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commander
  1. commandant
  2. captain
  3. skipper
Noun
  • Trump fired the woman commandant of the Coast Guard, the Black combat-veteran Air Force general who was the chair of the Joint Chiefs, and the first woman to be the chief of naval operations.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 17 June 2026
  • The State Police will also hire a civilian director to work alongside the academy’s commandant, and institute baseline physical and psychological screenings for recruits before the academy begins.
    — Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 20 May 2026
Definition of commandant
Noun
  • The captain of an allegedly unlicensed boat that capsized in New York Harbor near Liberty Island over the weekend, killing a young woman and her baby, has been charged in their deaths.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Tougher tests lie ahead for Vuskovic than a comfortable 45-minute introduction in the first half against Roma before making way for 34-year-old captain Lewis Dunk.
    — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of captain
Noun
  • The first-year skipper said that both Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Strider will begin throwing progressions this week.
    — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Van Hecke was seen as a natural successor to Dunk as Brighton’s skipper before moving to Tottenham.
    — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of skipper

Phrases Containing commander

Browse Nearby Words

commandeers
commander
commander in chief
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Commander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commander. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on commander

Nglish: Translation of commander for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vacuous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All