- present participle of command.
commanding
Americanadjective
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being in command.
a commanding officer.
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appreciably superior or imposing; winning; sizable.
a commanding position; a commanding lead in the final period.
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having the air, tone, etc., of command; imposing; authoritative.
a man of commanding appearance; a commanding voice.
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dominating by position, usually elevation; overlooking.
a commanding bluff at the mouth of the river.
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(of a view, or prospect) provided by a commanding location and so permitting dominance.
a commanding view of the mouth of the river.
adjective
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being in command
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having the air of authority
a commanding voice
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(of a position, situation, etc) exerting control
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(of a height, viewpoint, etc) overlooking; advantageous
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of commanding
Explanation
Something that's commanding is lofty, high, or impressive. Your thirtieth-floor apartment gives you a commanding view of the city. In the old days, noblemen built their castles up high on hills so they'd have commanding positions over the surrounding countryside: in other words, the height of the castle gave its inhabitants a certain sense of dominance, both symbolically and practically. In the 16th century, this adjective meant "nobly dignified," as a commander might be, and by about 1630, it came to mean "dominant by virtue of size or position."
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 department hasn’t found any evidence that its automated license plate reader data have been shared with any immigration enforcement agency, said Dean Gialamas, commanding officer of the LAPD’s Information Technology Bureau.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
But even its shares aren’t commanding the premium they once did.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
"Ultimately this was a tremendous debut performance from the new mistress of meringue, showing a side of Nigella we have not seen before: quirky, commanding, funny – but also humane," she concluded.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Lt Cdr Ben Brown, commanding officer of the Royal Navy's Bravo Squadron bomb disposal team, added navy disposal experts were continuing to help police with the unexploded "air-dropped bomb".
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
She demanded that someone give us the correct change to call Mississippi, which two boys did in such a hurry you would think Mother was their commanding officer.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
