commander in chief

American  

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.

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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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Etymology

Origin of commander in chief

First recorded in 1635–45

Example Sentences

In 1915, as Russia suffered terrible losses on the Eastern Front, Nicholas proclaimed himself commander in chief, increasing his personal responsibility for wartime defeats.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 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

The pledge came as more than 3,000 troops and police in uniform filed past Venezuela's first female leader and commander in chief.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

He noted that he and the former commander in chief both had “the bad kind” of prostate cancer.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 13, 2026

“This particular Butterfly was modeled after a real one caught by our commander in chief about eighteen years ago. He was one of the first members of Mayhem we ever caught.”

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin