commander

[kuh-man-der, -mahn-] / kəˈmæn dər, -ˈmɑn- /

NOUN

leader of military or other organization

Synonyms

STRONGEST

administrator captain chief commandant director head officer ruler

STRONG

boss co czar don exec guru kingfish kingpin mastermind skipper

WEAK

big cheese head honcho head person high priest/priestess higher up lead-off person point person top banana top brass top dog

Antonyms

STRONGEST

employee worker

WEAK

follower

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.

On 20 October 2012, Roberts-Smith – by then a patrol commander – was sent into Syachow village to look for an insurgent dubbed "Objective Pine".

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

In 1915, as Russia suffered terrible losses on the Eastern Front, Nicholas proclaimed himself commander in chief, increasing his personal responsibility for wartime defeats.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The ranks of the four serving officers being investigated for gross misconduct are commander, detective chief inspector, detective sergeant and detective constable.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Flanked on stage by mission commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen, astronaut Christina Koch called for people on Earth to embrace their shared humanity.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

Galya Dzhunkovskaya married her regimental commander, Valentin Markov; Yevdokia Bershanskaya married Andrey Molotov, the commander of a men’s regiment who’d flown close to the 46th Guards during the war.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Vocabulary lists containing commander

This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for February 5–February 11, 2022

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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for December 18–December 24, 2021

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