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American
[kuh-mand, -mahnd] / kəˈmænd, -ˈmɑnd /
verb (used with object)
-
commands,
present (3rd person singular)
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commanded,
past participle, past
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commanding
present participle
-
to direct with specific authority or prerogative; order.
The captain commanded his men to attack.
- Antonyms:
- obey
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to require authoritatively; demand.
She commanded silence.
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to have or exercise authority or control over; be master of; have at one's bidding or disposal.
The Pharaoh commanded 10,000 slaves.
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to deserve and receive (respect, sympathy, attention, etc.).
He commands much respect for his attitude.
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to dominate by reason of location; overlook.
The hill commands the sea.
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to have authority over and responsibility for (a military or naval unit or installation); be in charge of.
verb (used without object)
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commands,
present (3rd person singular)
-
commanded,
past participle, past
-
commanding
present participle
-
to issue an order or orders.
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to be in charge; have authority.
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to occupy a dominating position; look down upon or over a body of water, region, etc.
noun
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commands
plural
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the act of commanding or ordering.
- Synonyms:
- injunction, bidding, direction, instruction, mandate, charge
-
an order given by one in authority.
The colonel gave the command to attack.
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Military.
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an order in prescribed words, usually given in a loud voice to troops at close-order drill.
The command was “Right shoulder arms!”
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the order of execution or the second part of any two-part close-order drill command, as face in Right face!
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Command, a principal component of the U.S. Air Force.
Strategic Air Command.
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a body of troops or a station, ship, etc., under a commander.
-
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the possession or exercise of controlling authority.
a lieutenant in command of a platoon.
- Synonyms:
- understanding, knowledge, grasp, comprehension, proficiency, domination, sway, ascendancy, control, charge, authority
-
He has a command of French, Russian, and German.
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British. a royal order.
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power of dominating a region by reason of location; extent of view or outlook.
the command of the valley from the hill.
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Computers.
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an electric impulse, signal, or set of signals for initiating an operation in a computer.
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a character, symbol, or item of information for instructing a computer to perform a specific task.
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a single instruction.
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adjective
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of, relating to, or for use in the exercise of command: command post.
a command car;
command post.
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of or relating to a commander.
a command decision.
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ordered by a sovereign, as if by a sovereign, or by the exigencies of a situation.
a command performance.
command 1 British
/ kəˈmɑːnd /
verb
-
(when tr, may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to order, require, or compel
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to have or be in control or authority over (a person, situation, etc)
-
(tr) to have knowledge or use of
he commands the language
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(tr) to receive as due or because of merit
his nature commands respect
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to dominate (a view, etc) as from a height
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
noun
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an order; mandate
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the act of commanding
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the power or right to command
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the exercise of the power to command
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ability or knowledge; control
a command of French
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military the jurisdiction of a commander
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a military unit or units commanding a specific area or function, as in the RAF
-
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an invitation from the monarch
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( as modifier )
a command performance
-
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computing a word or phrase that can be selected from a menu or typed after a prompt in order to carry out an action
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Command 2 British
/ kəˈmɑːnd /
noun
-
any of the three main branches of the Canadian military forces
Air Command
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
command Idioms
- have a good command
More idioms and phrases containing command
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Conjugated Forms
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command
simple
-
commands
simple
-
have commanded
perfect
-
has commanded
perfect
-
am commanding
progressive
-
are commanding
progressive
-
is commanding
progressive
-
have been commanding
perfect progressive
-
has been commanding
perfect progressive
Etymology
Origin of command
First recorded in 1250–1300; (verb) Middle English coma(u)nden, from Anglo-French com(m)a(u)nder, Old French comander, from Medieval Latin commandāre, equivalent to Latin com- com- + mandāre “to entrust, order” ( cf. commend); (noun) late Middle English comma(u)nde, from Anglo-French, Old French; the noun is derivative of the verb
Explanation
A command is an order that you have to follow, as long as the person who gives it has authority over you. You don't have to comply with your friend's command that you give him all your money. Command, which can be a noun or a verb, combines the Latin prefix com-, meaning "with," and mandāre, "to charge, enjoin," so to give someone a command is to say something with the authority that charges him to follow it. Your mother might command you to clean your room. Command can also mean a position of power, like having command of a battleship, or possession of a skill, like having a great command of video games.
Keep Reading on Vocabulary.comVocabulary lists containing command
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
command Command commands commanded commanding
Four officers in the sergeant's chain of command have been put on administrative leave and on Tuesday President Lee Jae Myung ordered a sweeping reform of the police force.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Wang said in a call with investors this month that two decades of engineering effort have given the company the technological edge to command higher margins.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
The Dodgers could command a similar valuation, industry sources not authorized to discuss the issue publicly told The Times, should Walter decide to sell.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
To speed up the response, Spain's cabinet on Tuesday approved the creation of a "single command" for Ceuta, to be led by Territorial Policy Minister Angel Víctor Torres.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
“I just got instructions from the command center. I’m going to try and talk to Courage.”
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
"US forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce," said Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
Central Command, risking a return to all-out conflict in the region.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Central Command said the blockade would be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations” entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
His performance in 2008 video game Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 found him fame with a new generation of fans online.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
What Command didn’t know was how deep the enemy had dug into the island.
From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac
During the first part of the mission, Roman communicates with controllers using the Near Space Network, a system of ground stations and relay satellites that handles tracking, telemetry, and commands.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026
“Duvateen” is worth talking about some more because it’s a stellar exemplar of how John Curley firmly commands the rhythm section.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
Another function is to translate a jumble of oral commands into a clear and concise text message.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
The person was “armed” with a large flagpole and an unknown cylindrical object, the chief said, and was taken into custody after refusing officers’ commands to drop the items.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
The same night that his authority was recognized by all the rebel commands, he woke up in a fright, calling for a blanket.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The $26.3 billion valuation is well below the $98.2 billion it commanded during private fundraising rounds in 2022.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
Nico Gonzalez and James Trafford also commanded significant fees, while Omar Marmoush's loan to Tottenham includes an obligation to make the move permanent next summer for £60m.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
Tim Curry, the beloved and versatile star who famously commanded attention as the seductive mad scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the cult classic musical ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ has died.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Gen. Fitz-John Winthrop of Connecticut led an overland attack, while a Boston fleet was commanded by William Phips.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
The article mentions dive-bombers and night bombers, although the reporter didn’t point out that the aviation regiment commanded by Yevdokia Bershanskaya was made up entirely of women.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Proving himself an ambitious and capable soldier, he rose rapidly through the ranks, commanding army units in Macedonia and Kosovo.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
But what makes it familiar is that moment when the drums kick in and Dulli’s vocals are immediately in your ears, smooth yet commanding.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
Konstantinos Tzolakis: Excellent one-handed save to turn away Mbeumo's angled drive, commanding when he came for high balls.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
He marshals his commanding technique with the openness and vulnerability that have distinguished his whole career.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Part of Ann’s success was due to her commanding physical presence; she knew how to exploit her bulk.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.