commander in chief

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The city owes more than its name to the first commander in chief; George Washington encouraged the French developer Pierre Charles L’Enfant to design a capital that would symbolize the nation.

From Slate • May 18, 2026

The military is subordinate to its civilian commander in chief, and as chairman of the Joint Chiefs, he has no direct command of battlefield forces.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

When Time magazine last week asked the commander in chief whether Americans should be worried about potential terrorist strikes at home, he replied, “I guess.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

Iran’s supreme leader serves as the country’s head of state, commander in chief of the armed forces and the highest authority in its political and religious system.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

General Philippe Pétain, who replaced Nivelle as commander in chief, dealt with the mutiny more through persuasion than punishment.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman