- present participle of command.
commanding
Americanadjective
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being in command.
a commanding officer.
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appreciably superior or imposing; winning; sizable.
a commanding position; a commanding lead in the final period.
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having the air, tone, etc., of command; imposing; authoritative.
a man of commanding appearance; a commanding voice.
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dominating by position, usually elevation; overlooking.
a commanding bluff at the mouth of the river.
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(of a view, or prospect) provided by a commanding location and so permitting dominance.
a commanding view of the mouth of the river.
adjective
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being in command
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having the air of authority
a commanding voice
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(of a position, situation, etc) exerting control
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(of a height, viewpoint, etc) overlooking; advantageous
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of commanding
Explanation
Something that's commanding is lofty, high, or impressive. Your thirtieth-floor apartment gives you a commanding view of the city. In the old days, noblemen built their castles up high on hills so they'd have commanding positions over the surrounding countryside: in other words, the height of the castle gave its inhabitants a certain sense of dominance, both symbolically and practically. In the 16th century, this adjective meant "nobly dignified," as a commander might be, and by about 1630, it came to mean "dominant by virtue of size or position."
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.
Proving himself an ambitious and capable soldier, he rose rapidly through the ranks, commanding army units in Macedonia and Kosovo.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Mamdani remains popular and influential, commanding high approval numbers from likely voters and acting as a kingmaker for candidates who can enact his affordability agenda.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Dulli’s voice has always been commanding but now it has depth and a richness.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
He marshals his commanding technique with the openness and vulnerability that have distinguished his whole career.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
They had been off Alicante about a week when a ship flying the American flag anchored near them—the Ember, from Salem, Captain Gorman commanding.
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
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.
