commander in chief
Americannoun
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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.
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an officer in command of a particular portion of an armed force who has been given this title by specific authorization.
noun
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the officer holding supreme command of the forces in an area or operation
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the officer holding command of a major subdivision of one military service
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of commander in chief
First recorded in 1635–45
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.
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
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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.