commanding

[kuh-man-ding, -mahn-]

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.

commanding

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of commanding¹

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

Example Sentences

“I hate saying this, but teams can get a little bored,” Redick said of building such a commanding lead.

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On the Trojans’ next possession, they took to the air, as Maiava moved them into position to take a commanding, early lead.

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The playwright Sam Shepard was also a commanding presence on the screen.

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Furthermore, a commanding lead in patents and strict export controls on processing technology solidify efforts by Beijing to prevent know-how from leaving the country.

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As good as Teller is as a husband in crisis, the Oscar-winning Randolph is her own commanding source of light, enough to sell this movie’s feel-good abstracts and wry commentaries on her own.

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Related Words

• assertive 
• compelling 
• decisive 
• dominant 
• dominating www.thesaurus.com
• forceful 
• imposing 
• impressive 
• lofty