wing commander

American  

noun

1. British. an officer in the Royal Air Force equivalent in rank to a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force.

2. an officer of the U.S. Navy or Air Force who commands a wing.

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wing commander British  

noun

1. an officer holding commissioned rank in certain air forces, such as the Royal Air Force: junior to a group captain and senior to a squadron leader

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Etymology

Origin of wing commander

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wing commander

The organisation's chief executive, wing commander Ian Cumming, said he would never forget Lamond's "cheeky patter".

From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2026

Sean D. Riley, the wing commander, was relieved of his command, it added.

From New York Times ● Dec. 11, 2023

Under Brown the cultural shift took hold and remains in place today, said Rew, who was one of Brown’s instructors at the weapons school and wing commander during Brown’s time as commandant.

From Seattle Times ● May 25, 2023

With the rank of wing commander, Mr. Edwards shot down a confirmed 19 Luftwaffe fighter planes and scored many more “probables,” the aircraft he put out of action but did not see hit the ground.

From Washington Post ● May 21, 2022

General Dreedle, the wing commander, was a blunt, chunky, barrel-chested man in his early fifties.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller