commanding
Americanadjective
-
being in command.
a commanding officer.
-
appreciably superior or imposing; winning; sizable.
a commanding position; a commanding lead in the final period.
-
having the air, tone, etc., of command; imposing; authoritative.
a man of commanding appearance; a commanding voice.
-
dominating by position, usually elevation; overlooking.
a commanding bluff at the mouth of the river.
-
(of a view, or prospect) provided by a commanding location and so permitting dominance.
a commanding view of the mouth of the river.
adjective
-
being in command
-
having the air of authority
a commanding voice
-
(of a position, situation, etc) exerting control
-
(of a height, viewpoint, etc) overlooking; advantageous
Other Word Forms
- commandingly adverb
- commandingness noun
- quasi-commanding adjective
- quasi-commandingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of commanding
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.
College sports leaders are trying to squeeze the genie back into the bottle—witness the president’s new executive order commanding transfer and eligibility limits, among other items—but it’s hard to see the landscape changing soon.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
Reigning NBA champions Thunder claimed a commanding 139-96 victory, helped by 28 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as they improved their league-best record to 61-16.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
While the imminent SpaceX initial public offering is commanding plenty of attention right now, there are already ways to get in on the space boom beyond public satellite and launch plays, according to analysts.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
Actor James Tolkan, known for his role as the Hill Valley High principal in “Back to the Future” and the no-nonsense commanding officer in “Top Gun” has died.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
He'd looked at his commanding officer very oddly.
From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie
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.
