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commando

American  
[kuh-man-doh, -mahn-] / kəˈmæn doʊ, -ˈmɑn- /

noun

plural

commandos, commandoes

  1. (inWorld War II )

    1. any of the specially trained Allied military units used for surprise, hit-and-run raids against Axis forces.

    2. a member of any of these units.

  2. any military unit organized for operations similar to those of the commandos of World War II.

  3. a member of a military assault unit or team trained to operate quickly and aggressively in especially urgent, threatening situations, as against terrorists holding hostages.

idioms

  1. go commando, to wear pants, shorts, a skirt, etc., with no underwear.

commando British  
/ kəˈmɑːndəʊ /

noun

    1. an amphibious military unit trained for raiding

    2. a member of such a unit

  2. the basic unit of the Royal Marine Corps

  3. (originally) an armed force raised by Boers during the Boer War

  4. (modifier) denoting or relating to a commando or force of commandos

    a commando raid

    a commando unit
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

  1. informal to wear no underpants

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of commando

First recorded in 1785–95; from Afrikaans kommando “raid, raiding party, a unit of militia,” from Portuguese commando “unit commanded,” noun derivative of commandar “to command ”

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.

"We later understood that there was a commando operation underway."

From Barron's • Mar. 7, 2026

Labuschagne, an ex-South African commando, founded Warm Heart Initiative in response to the clashes that followed the translocation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

Now, nearly four decades after Arnold Schwarzenegger’s commando Dutch Schaefer survived his encounter with a Yautja – long before anyone knew that’s what they were called – “Predator: Badlands” makes one of them the hero.

From Salon • Nov. 12, 2025

Amazon and Apple that is, rather than the 80s crack commando unit.

From Barron's • Oct. 31, 2025

He sailed through the air like a true feline commando.

From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth

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.