commanding

American  

[kuh-man-ding, -mahn-] / kəˈmæn dɪŋ, -ˈmɑn- /

adjective

1. being in command.

   a commanding officer.

2. appreciably superior or imposing; winning; sizable.

   a commanding position; a commanding lead in the final period.

3. having the air, tone, etc., of command; imposing; authoritative.

   a man of commanding appearance; a commanding voice.

4. dominating by position, usually elevation; overlooking.

   a commanding bluff at the mouth of the river.

5. (of a view, or prospect) provided by a commanding location and so permitting dominance.

   a commanding view of the mouth of the river.

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commanding British  

/ kəˈmɑːndɪŋ /

adjective

1. being in command

2. having the air of authority

   a commanding voice

3. (of a position, situation, etc) exerting control

4. (of a height, viewpoint, etc) overlooking; advantageous

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Other Word Forms

• commandingly adverb
• commandingness noun
• quasi-commanding adjective
• quasi-commandingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of commanding

First recorded in 1475–85; command + -ing ²

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

Gold.com now provides a home for leading online dealers such as JM Bullion, GovMint, Stack’s Bowers, Pinehurst Coins, and Monex, together commanding an estimated 30% share of the online North American precious-metals retail market.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

An old soul with with a huge, commanding voice, his catalog hovers between the orchestral swoon of pre-rock ballads, the pristine melodies of Anita Baker and the rangy, resilient yearning of his hometown’s soul tradition.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

So far, with McIlroy holding a commanding advantage in his pursuit of a rare back-to-back Masters win, there haven't been any.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

"It's something that I'm there for. I'm trying to help the team as much as possible in any single action, not just defending but commanding and on the ball," Raya told Amazon Prime.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Then there were men’s voices, rough, harsh, commanding.

From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin

Related Words

• assertive
• compelling
• decisive
• dominant
• dominating
• forceful
• imposing
• impressive
• lofty