Jump To:

• command
  command

  verb (used with object)

  to direct with specific authority or prerogative; order.
• Command
  Command

  noun

  any of the three main branches of the Canadian military forces

command

American  

[kuh-mand, -mahnd] / kəˈmænd, -ˈmɑnd /

verb (used with object)

• commands,
  present (3rd person singular)
• commanded,
  past participle,  past
• commanding
  present participle

1. to direct with specific authority or prerogative; order.

   The captain commanded his men to attack.

   Synonyms:

   prescribe, order, instruct, enjoin, direct, charge, bid

   Antonyms:

   obey

2. to require authoritatively; demand.

   She commanded silence.

3. to have or exercise authority or control over; be master of; have at one's bidding or disposal.

   The Pharaoh commanded 10,000 slaves.

   Synonyms:

   oversee, manage, rule, lead, govern, control

4. to deserve and receive (respect, sympathy, attention, etc.).

   He commands much respect for his attitude.

   Synonyms:

   exact, claim, compel

5. to dominate by reason of location; overlook.

   The hill commands the sea.

6. to have authority over and responsibility for (a military or naval unit or installation); be in charge of.

---

verb (used without object)

• commands,
  present (3rd person singular)
• commanded,
  past participle,  past
• commanding
  present participle

1. to issue an order or orders.

2. to be in charge; have authority.

3. to occupy a dominating position; look down upon or over a body of water, region, etc.

noun

• commands
  plural

1. the act of commanding or ordering.

   Synonyms:

   injunction, bidding, direction, instruction, mandate, charge

2. an order given by one in authority.

   The colonel gave the command to attack.

3. Military.

   1. an order in prescribed words, usually given in a loud voice to troops at close-order drill.

      The command was “Right shoulder arms!”

   2. the order of execution or the second part of any two-part close-order drill command, as face in Right face!

   3. Command, a principal component of the U.S. Air Force.

      Strategic Air Command.

   4. a body of troops or a station, ship, etc., under a commander.

4. the possession or exercise of controlling authority.

   a lieutenant in command of a platoon.

   Synonyms:

   understanding, knowledge, grasp, comprehension, proficiency, domination, sway, ascendancy, control, charge, authority

5. mastery; expertise.

   He has a command of French, Russian, and German.

6. British. a royal order.

7. power of dominating a region by reason of location; extent of view or outlook.

   the command of the valley from the hill.

8. Computers.

   1. an electric impulse, signal, or set of signals for initiating an operation in a computer.

   2. a character, symbol, or item of information for instructing a computer to perform a specific task.

   3. a single instruction.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or for use in the exercise of command: command post.

   a command car;

   command post.

2. of or relating to a commander.

   a command decision.

3. ordered by a sovereign, as if by a sovereign, or by the exigencies of a situation.

   a command performance.

command ¹ British  

/ kəˈmɑːnd /

verb

1. (when tr, may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to order, require, or compel

2. to have or be in control or authority over (a person, situation, etc)

3. (tr) to have knowledge or use of

   he commands the language

4. (tr) to receive as due or because of merit

   his nature commands respect

5. to dominate (a view, etc) as from a height

---

noun

1. an order; mandate

2. the act of commanding

3. the power or right to command

4. the exercise of the power to command

5. ability or knowledge; control

   a command of French

6. military the jurisdiction of a commander

7. a military unit or units commanding a specific area or function, as in the RAF

8. 1. an invitation from the monarch

   2. ( as modifier )

      a command performance

9. computing a word or phrase that can be selected from a menu or typed after a prompt in order to carry out an action

Command ² British  

/ kəˈmɑːnd /

noun

1. any of the three main branches of the Canadian military forces

   Air Command

---

command Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing command

• have a good command

---

Synonym Usage

See direct. See rule.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• precommand
  noun
• commandable
  adjective
• uncommanded
  adjective
• well-commanded
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• commands
  plural

Participles

• commanding
  present
• commanded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• command
  simple
• commands
  simple
• have commanded
  perfect
• has commanded
  perfect
• am commanding
  progressive
• are commanding
  progressive
• is commanding
  progressive
• have been commanding
  perfect progressive
• has been commanding
  perfect progressive

Past

• commanded
  simple
• had commanded
  perfect
• was commanding
  progressive
• were commanding
  progressive
• had been commanding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will command
  simple
• will have commanded
  perfect
• will be commanding
  progressive
• will have been commanding
  perfect progressive

---

Etymology

Origin of command

First recorded in 1250–1300; (verb) Middle English coma(u)nden, from Anglo-French com(m)a(u)nder, Old French comander, from Medieval Latin commandāre, equivalent to Latin com- com- + mandāre “to entrust, order” ( cf. commend); (noun) late Middle English comma(u)nde, from Anglo-French, Old French; the noun is derivative of the verb

---

Explanation

A command is an order that you have to follow, as long as the person who gives it has authority over you. You don't have to comply with your friend's command that you give him all your money. Command, which can be a noun or a verb, combines the Latin prefix com-, meaning "with," and mandāre, "to charge, enjoin," so to give someone a command is to say something with the authority that charges him to follow it. Your mother might command you to clean your room. Command can also mean a position of power, like having command of a battleship, or possession of a skill, like having a great command of video games.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

command Command commands commanded commanding

When Spain’s Philip II sent his great armada to invade England in 1588, Elizabeth refused to entrust Drake with independent command.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

That would be followed by weeks or months of horse trading by leading parties to form a coalition that can command a majority in Parliament.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

“We could command the attention of any supplier,” a Gemini agent observed in its log.

From Slate ● Oct. 25, 2026

Israel's parliament - known as the Knesset - has 120 seats, meaning a government must hold 61 seats to command a majority.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

Astronauts Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White II, and Roger B. Chaffee were sitting in the command module as the command center counted them down toward a launch.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Nearby you’ll see the Apollo-Soyuz Command Module, which American astronauts Tom Stafford, Deke Slayton and Vance D. Brand flew to meet with a Russian Soyuz spacecraft orbiting Earth in 1975.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

The Pentagon said to contact US Southern Command, which did not immediately answer questions from AFP.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026

The ministry said that "three-way talks involving the United Nations Command would also be possible".

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

Still, upgrades like the Army’s Next-Generation Command and Control system, used for AI-enabled planning and logistics, are a start.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

Command of the suitors had fallen to Agelaos.

From "The Odyssey" by Homer

Engineers activated its light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, which function as adjustable light sources that can produce different colors and brightness levels under commands from Earth.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026

The accessories are designed to work together and users can control every product with Siri voice commands.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

"They sell these individuals to military units and regional commands facing manpower shortages, or traffic substitute recruits on behalf of wealthier individuals seeking to buy their way out of service."

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

“A pair generally commands a higher price,” Pagello says.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026

The Whole Brainers believe that thoughts and commands can originate anywhere in the brain jelly/cloud and flash into action.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

He rose through the army, commanded the Golani Brigade and became chief of staff.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

Tech no longer ranks as the S&P 500’s most expensive sector, something it has long commanded on expectations of faster earnings growth and high margin potential.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026

Donald, who frequently commanded double-team blocking, made a memorable play near the end of the second quarter with the Giants — who had feasted on a Williams fumble — threatening to score.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Gen. Harold G. Moore, who commanded a cavalry unit at the late 1965 Ia Drang battle, fretted how the war was “devastating to the morale and effectiveness of every American unit in combat.”

From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026

“Oh be quiet, both of you!” she commanded.

From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander

A Real defeat would have allowed Barcelona to establish a commanding nine-point advantage but the result has transformed the top of La Liga, bringing Mourinho's side to within three points of their rivals.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

They mercifully ran out the clock with a commanding 28-7 lead going into the fourth and improved to a tidy 5-0 in the Big Ten.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026

Eisenhower led the US war effort against Nazi Germany, commanding the D-Day landings that launched the phase of conflict leading to Adolf Hitler's defeat.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

But they’ve learned the hard way that it won’t work to come at him directly, because he ends up dominating interviews and beguiling those who, like Watters, love his commanding and clever style.

From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2026

The man in front of me is an officer, commanding me to solemnly swear that I will not share any secrets.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• ability
• authority
• control
• expertise
• government
• grasp
• jurisdiction
• leadership
• management
• skill
• supervision

---