command
verb (used with object)
to direct with specific authority or prerogative; order.
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command
American
[kuh-mand, -mahnd]
/ kəˈmænd, -ˈmɑnd /
verb (used with object)
-
commands,
present (3rd person singular)
-
commanded,
past participle, past
-
commanding
present participle
-
to direct with specific authority or prerogative; order.
The captain commanded his men to attack.
- Antonyms:
- obey
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to require authoritatively; demand.
She commanded silence.
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to have or exercise authority or control over; be master of; have at one's bidding or disposal.
The Pharaoh commanded 10,000 slaves.
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to deserve and receive (respect, sympathy, attention, etc.).
He commands much respect for his attitude.
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to dominate by reason of location; overlook.
The hill commands the sea.
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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
-
to issue an order or orders.
-
to be in charge; have authority.
-
to occupy a dominating position; look down upon or over a body of water, region, etc.
noun
-
commands
plural
-
the act of commanding or ordering.
- Synonyms:
- injunction, bidding, direction, instruction, mandate, charge
-
an order given by one in authority.
The colonel gave the command to attack.
-
Military.
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an order in prescribed words, usually given in a loud voice to troops at close-order drill.
The command was “Right shoulder arms!”
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the order of execution or the second part of any two-part close-order drill command, as face in Right face!
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Command, a principal component of the U.S. Air Force.
Strategic Air Command.
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a body of troops or a station, ship, etc., under a commander.
-
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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
-
He has a command of French, Russian, and German.
-
British. a royal order.
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power of dominating a region by reason of location; extent of view or outlook.
the command of the valley from the hill.
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Computers.
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an electric impulse, signal, or set of signals for initiating an operation in a computer.
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a character, symbol, or item of information for instructing a computer to perform a specific task.
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a single instruction.
-
adjective
-
of, relating to, or for use in the exercise of command: command post.
a command car;
command post.
-
of or relating to a commander.
a command decision.
-
ordered by a sovereign, as if by a sovereign, or by the exigencies of a situation.
a command performance.
command
1
British
/ kəˈmɑːnd /
verb
-
(when tr, may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to order, require, or compel
-
to have or be in control or authority over (a person, situation, etc)
-
(tr) to have knowledge or use of
he commands the language
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(tr) to receive as due or because of merit
his nature commands respect
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to dominate (a view, etc) as from a height
noun
-
an order; mandate
-
the act of commanding
-
the power or right to command
-
the exercise of the power to command
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ability or knowledge; control
a command of French
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military the jurisdiction of a commander
-
a military unit or units commanding a specific area or function, as in the RAF
-
-
an invitation from the monarch
-
( as modifier )
a command performance
-
-
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
command
Idioms
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
commandsimple
-
commandssimple
-
have commandedperfect
-
has commandedperfect
-
am commandingprogressive
-
are commandingprogressive
-
is commandingprogressive
-
have been commandingperfect progressive
-
has been commandingperfect progressive
Past
-
commandedsimple
-
had commandedperfect
-
was commandingprogressive
-
were commandingprogressive
-
had been commandingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing command
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 5
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
The command of Ukraine's Territorial Defence Forces and Ukraine's human rights commissioner of Ukraine said all the civilians they had evacuated from Kursk region had been handed over to Russia.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
The autonomy ethic that is so comfortable for non-Orthodox Jewish Americans can be seen as diametrically opposed to the ideas of divine command and judgment that are so deeply embedded in traditional Judaism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Denny Jong, a 20-year-department veteran, as describing his relationship with the officers under his command as friendly and professional; none of them had ever expressed discomfort about their work environment, he reportedly said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
He hopes Bhutan can capitalise on its pristine environment for high-value products that will command a premium because of where they were grown.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
“Cadets!” boomed a voice that made that one word into a command.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
"The Command will also take all necessary measures and actions to respond to the sources of the threat and neutralise its danger."
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
Central Command denied the latter claim, calling it a “total lie.”
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
Central Command, which plans and executes military operations in the Middle East, emailed a broad group of analysts and officers, asking for “new creative and unconventional ways to pressure and punish Iran.”
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026
Central Command declined to comment, citing operational security.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
The leaders of the High Command had had this very document before them on the table when the police stormed the farm.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Air Marshal Alan Gillespie, who serves as the director general of the Defence Safety Authority, urged all commands to consider the 44 recommendations made by the service inquiry panel.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
During the first part of the mission, Roman communicates with controllers using the Near Space Network, a system of ground stations and relay satellites that handles tracking, telemetry, and commands.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026
“Duvateen” is worth talking about some more because it’s a stellar exemplar of how John Curley firmly commands the rhythm section.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
The person was “armed” with a large flagpole and an unknown cylindrical object, the chief said, and was taken into custody after refusing officers’ commands to drop the items.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
A football, a phone call, a few commands.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
But Ossoff’s remark also commanded attention, feeding a boomlet that helped bump up his standing in polls of the hypothetical 2028 presidential primary.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026
"That uncertainty at leadership levels has downstream effects on the force," added Duffy, who had a 30-year career and commanded US warships before joining the White House during the second Obama administration.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
It was renamed Pershing Square at the end of World War I in 1918, in honor of the general who commanded U.S. forces in Europe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Dean commanded the No. 1 song and album in New Zealand for more than 22 weeks, obliterating a record previously held by Abba.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
“Come, follow me,” La Llorona commanded from the doorway.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
It’s a commanding portrayal, but I wish the production didn’t shrink from its protagonist’s fierceness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
The posts ranged from imagined meetings with George Washington to reshaping Iran in his own image, but some of the most striking portrayed the president commanding futuristic military forces.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
They cite a biblical passage from the Book of Numbers commanding Jews to conquer and inhabit the ancient lands of Israel, including some 2,100 square miles that make up the West Bank.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
They explain that "troops were told to 'cease activity' with immediate effect after commanding officers received a directive to halt 'collective training' unless their units were about to be deployed".
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
The commanding officer was there, too, and Luc, which reassured me—of course I should have known that the commanding officer wouldn’t issue me any instructions without Luc’s knowing.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
