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
Derived 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.
Perhaps it should no longer be surprising to report that Marx has a commanding lead in the polls over his two opponents, state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer and state Rep. Scott Bottoms.
From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026
The Knicks have a commanding 2-0 lead in the best of seven series against the San Antonio Spurs, and now the action shifts to the Big Apple for games three and four.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
In the most commanding painting of this section, Jeong Seon’s “Clearing After Rain on Mt. Inwang” from 1751, roiling clusters of dark hills are split by hidden ravines and jutting waterfalls.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
Many gamers become soldiers or traders, but a select few find themselves in leadership positions - commanding thousands of gamers and having massive influence over the virtual world.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
One of them bore the name of George A. Custer, the commanding officer of the U.S.
From "In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse" by Joseph Marshall III
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.
