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

He stunned observers with a commanding victory in the June primary election.

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Few would have predicted the outcome at the halfway stage as Australia racked up a seemingly commanding total on a good batting surface.

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While the S&P 500 looks richly valued, however, it’s largely due to tech stocks commanding such a big part of it.

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What once was a commanding Black majority is now a white plurality, as longtime residents were either priced out or motivated to sell their now-pricey brownstones.

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Fortunately, they got to see him start one week later with the Blues having built a commanding 4–1 first leg lead away from home, to win 1–0 in the second leg.

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Related Words

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