commander in chief

noun

plural

commanders in chief 

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.

commander in chief

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

commander in chief

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of commander in chief¹

First recorded in 1635–45

Example Sentences

“To say, well, we can take over your city whenever we want, and I’m the commander in chief, and I can use the troops whenever we want.”

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William Henry Harrison, the ninth president of the United States, was the last commander in chief born a British subject and the first member of the Whig Party to win the White House.

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As commander in chief, the president can deploy troops and, under Title 10, he can also put National Guard troops under his command — even against the wishes of local officials.

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However, the commander in chief is a wee bit busy handling world events these days — hard to tell if he will be able to get away, even for a gala event like this one.

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“Don’t ever say what you said,” the commander in chief snarled before boasting about how he wasn’t a chicken and was actually a tough guy.

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