commandant
Americannoun
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the commanding officer of a place, group, etc..
the commandant of a naval base.
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the title of the senior officer and head of the U.S. Marine Corps.
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U.S. Army. a title generally given to the heads of military schools.
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a commander.
noun
Etymology
Origin of commandant
1680–90; < French, noun use of present participle of commander to command; see -ant
Explanation
One name for a commanding military officer is a commandant. In the US, a commandant is typically in charge of a military school or training facility. Many English-speaking militaries use the word commandant in various ways — in Ireland, for example, a commandant in the Army is the same as a major. The senior officer at a military college in New Zealand is also a commandant. In the US, commandant isn't a rank, like private or general, but an appointed position. In French, commandant means "the one commanding," from the verb commander, "to order."
Vocabulary lists containing commandant
"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce
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Echo
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Prisoner B-3087
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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 former DHS secretary has been seen at the residence usually designated for the Coast Guard commandant, which she made her home as a cabinet member.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
Thomas Allan, the acting vice commandant of the Coast Guard, said a shutdown would delay maintenance for boats and aircraft, and halt pay for 56,000 active-duty reserve and civilian personnel.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026
For ethical reasons, there are no plans to display the piece, but a photo of the lamp on the commandant of Buchenwald's desk is on the Museum of Resistance and Deportation of Besancon's website.
From BBC • May 5, 2025
“We continue to make mission without ever diminishing our standards,” Gen. Eric Smith, commandant of the Marine Corps, flatly told Congress earlier this month.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 15, 2024
She’d worried that the clothing would be gaudy signals to the commandant, but clearly he already knew—as did the guards—where the children hid.
From "The Devil's Arithmetic" by Jane Yolen
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.
