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Synonyms

commanding officer

American  

noun

  1. Army. a commander of any rank from second lieutenant to colonel.

commanding officer British  

noun

  1. an officer in command of a military unit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of commanding officer

First recorded in 1790–1800

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.

“Air units will be restricted from responding to requests for service in the affected areas,” wrote Larsen, the acting commanding officer of Air Support Division.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2026

Maybe not in “Star Trek,” where survivors of its all-absorbing Borg collective include a Starship captain and a commanding officer.

From Salon • Dec. 29, 2025

O’Kane’s underwater adventures began as the executive officer aboard USS Wahoo, alongside its commanding officer, Dudley Morton, an aggressive wartime submarine commander.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

"Dutch people, when we are born, we know we're going to fight the water," said commanding officer Corporal Michel Vrancken.

From Barron's • Nov. 7, 2025

The commanding officer then reached behind his desk and produced a sheaf of papers.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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.