commander in chief

American  

noun

commanders in chief plural

1. Also Commander in Chief the supreme commander of the armed forces of a nation or, sometimes, of several allied nations.

   The president is the Commander in Chief of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force.

2. an officer in command of a particular portion of an armed force who has been given this title by specific authorization.

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commander in chief British  

noun

1. the officer holding supreme command of the forces in an area or operation

2. the officer holding command of a major subdivision of one military service

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commander in chief Cultural  

1. The role of the United States president as highest ranking officer in the armed forces. The Constitution provides this power, but, through the system of checks and balances, gives Congress the authority to declare war. During periods of war, presidents such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, George H. W. Bush, William Jefferson Clinton, and George W. Bush have taken active roles as commander in chief.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• commanders in chief
  plural

Etymology

Origin of commander in chief

First recorded in 1635–45

Example Sentences

A birthday present for our commander in chief, perhaps.

From Slate • Jun. 16, 2026

Ahmad Vahidi, commander in chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is shaping Iran’s hard-line stance in negotiations to end the war.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026

"Ultimately, the timeline will be dictated by the commander in chief," she told journalists.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 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

This work, too, would serve to support Barack’s duties as commander in chief.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama