commander

See also: Commander

English

Etymology

From Middle English comaundour, commaunder, comaunder, borrowed from Old French comandeor, cumandeur, from comander. By surface analysis, command +‎ -er. See command.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /kəˈmændɚ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kəˈmɑːndə/
• (Northern England) IPA^(key): /kəˈmandə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

commander (plural commanders)

1. One who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization.
   • 1883, United States. War Department, Annual Reports of the War Department, volume 1, page 128:

     I think if post commanders of the unchaplained posts could employ acceptable clergymen […] then the needs might be met.

   • 2007 September 30, Douglas Brinkley, “Overlord’s Overlord”, in The New York Times‎^[1]:

     Instead, Korda squeezes Eisenhower’s extraordinary two-term presidency — not to mention his stints as president of Columbia University and commander of NATO forces — into 140 themeless pages.

2. A naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain.
   • 2012, BioWare, Mass Effect 3 (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Earth:

     Shepard: I don't take orders from you anymore, remember?
     Anderson: Consider yourself reinstated... Commander.

3. One who exercises control and direction over a group of persons.
4. A designation or rank in certain non-military organizations such as NASA and various police forces.
5. (obsolete) The chief officer of a commandry.
6. A heavy beetle or wooden mallet, used in paving, in sail lofts, etc.
7. A rank within an honorary order: e.g. Commander of the Legion of Honour.
8. Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the Asian genus Moduza.
9. (Singapore, military) A soldier who has attained the rank of sergeant or higher

Derived terms

• archcommander
• arch-commander
• co-commander
• commanderess
• commander in chief
• commander-in-chief
• commanderless
• commanderlike
• commanderly
• commandership
• commandress
• subcommander
• tactical air commander
• undercommander
• wing commander

Related terms

• commandery

Translations

one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization

• Albanian: komandant (sq) m
• Arabic: آمِر m (ʔāmir), مُقَدَّم (ar) m (muqaddam), قَائِد m (qāʔid), قُمَنْدَان m (qumandān)
• Armenian: հրամանատար (hy) (hramanatar)
• Azerbaijani: komandir, komandan
• Belarusian: камандзі́р m (kamandzír), каманды́р m (kamandýr), ваенача́льнік m (vajenačálʹnik), палкаво́дзец m (palkavódzjec), кама́ндэр m (kamánder) (UK or US armies)
• Bulgarian: команди́р (bg) m (komandír)
• Catalan: comandant (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 司令 (zh) (sīlìng), 司令官 (zh) (sīlìngguān), 指揮官 / 指挥官 (zh) (zhǐhuīguān)

• Czech: velitel (cs) m
• Danish: befalingsmand c, kommandant c (fortress or garrison)
• Dutch: commandant (nl) m, bevelhebber (nl) m
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Estonian: ülem
• Finnish: komentaja (fi)
• French: commandant (fr) m, commandante (fr) f
• Georgian: ზორვარი (zorvari), მეთაური (metauri)
• German: Befehlshaber (de) m, Kommandant (de) m, Kommandeur (de) m, Kommandör m
• Greek: διοικητής (el) m (dioikitís), αρχηγός (el) m (archigós)
• Guaraní: mburuvicha
• Hebrew: מְפַקֵּד (he) m (m'fakéd), מְפַקֶּדֶת f (mefakedet)
• Hindi: कमांडर (hi) m (kamāṇḍar), कमान अफसर m (kamān aphsar), सेनापति (hi) m (senāpti), सेनानायक (hi) m (senānāyak), सालार (hi) m (sālār), सलार (hi) m (salār), सालारजंग (hi) m (sālārjaṅg), सिपहसालार (hi) m (sipahsālār)
• Hungarian: parancsnok (hu)
• Indonesian: panglima (id), komandan (id)
• Ingrian: komandira
• Irish: ceannasaí m
• Italian: comandante (it) m
• Japanese: 司令 (ja) (しれい, shirei), 司令官 (ja) (しれいかん, shireikan), 指揮官 (ja) (しきかん, shikikan)
• Kazakh: кәмәндір (kämändır), командир (komandir)
• Korean: 사령(司令) (ko) (saryeong), 사령관(司令官) (ko) (saryeonggwan), 지휘관(指揮官) (ko) (jihwigwan)
• Kyrgyz: командир (komandir), саркер (ky) (sarker), сардар (ky) (sardar)
• Latin: imperātor (la) m
• Latvian: komandieris m
• Lithuanian: vadas (lt) m
• Macedonian: команда́нт m (komandánt), запо́ведник m (zapóvednik), команди́р m (komandír), нара́чател m (naráčatel) (not very common)
• Malay: komander
• Maori: toihau, kaiwhakahau
• Marathi: कमांडर m (kamāṇḍar)
• Middle English: capitain, governour
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: командлагч (mn) (komandlagč), жанжин (mn) (žanžin), дарга (mn) (darga)

  Mongolian: ᠻᠣᠮᠠᠨᠳ᠋ᠯᠠᠭᠴᠢ (komandlaɣči), ᠵᠠᠩᠵᠤᠨ (ǰangǰun), ᠳᠠᠷᠤᠭ᠎ᠠ (darug-a)

• Navajo: hashkééjí naatʼááh
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: kommandant m, befalingsmand m

  Nynorsk: kommandant m

• Ottoman Turkish: قوماندان (kumandan)
• Persian: فرمانده (fa) (farmânde), امیر (fa) (amir)
• Polish: dowódca (pl) m
• Portuguese: comandante (pt) m or f
• Punjabi: ਕੁਮੇਦਾਨ (kumedān)
• Romanian: comandor (ro) m
• Russian: команди́р (ru) m (komandír), военача́льник (ru) m (vojenačálʹnik), полково́дец (ru) m (polkovódec), комма́ндер (ru) m (kommándɛr) (UK or US armies)
• Scottish Gaelic: ceannard m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: заповѐднӣк m, заповјѐднӣк m, кома̀ндант m

  Roman: zapovèdnīk (sh) m, zapovjèdnīk (sh) m, komàndant (sh) m

• Sicilian: cumannanti m, cumanneri m
• Slovak: veliteľ m
• Slovene: poveljnik m, komandant m
• Spanish: comandante (es) m
• Swahili: kamanda (sw)
• Swedish: befälhavare (sv) c
• Tajik: фармондеҳ (tg) (farmondeh), амир (amir)
• Turkish: komutan (tr), kumandan (tr)
• Turkmen: komandir
• Ukrainian: команди́р m (komandýr), воєнача́льник m (vojenačálʹnyk), полково́дець m (polkovódecʹ), кома́ндувач m (kománduvač), кома́ндер m (kománder) (UK or US armies)
• Uyghur: كوماندىر (komandir), قوماندان (qomandan)
• Uzbek: komandir (uz), qoʻmondon (uz)
• Vietnamese: người chỉ huy (vi), tư lệnh (vi)
• Yiddish: קאָמאַנדיר m (komandir)

a naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain

• Belarusian: кама́ндэр m (kamánder) (UK or US armies)
• Bulgarian: капита́н тре́ти ранг m (kapitán tréti rang)
• Czech: fregatní kapitán m, komandér m
• Danish: kaptajnløjtnant (da) c
• Dutch: fregatkapitein (nl) m (Belgium), kapitein-luitenant ter zee m (Netherlands)
• Finnish: komentaja (fi), komentajakapteeni (fi)
• Greek: αντιπλοίαρχος (el) m (antiploíarchos)
• Indonesian: mayor (id)
• Irish: ceannasaí m
• Marathi: कमांडर (kamāṇḍar)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: kommandør m

• Russian: комма́ндер (ru) m (kommándɛr) (UK or US armies), капита́н тре́тьего ра́нга (ru) m (kapitán trétʹjevo ránga)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: кома̀ндант m

  Roman: komàndant (sh) m

• Slovene: komandant m
• Ukrainian: кома́ндер m (kománder) (UK or US armies)

one who exercises control and direction over a group of persons

• Bulgarian: нача́лник (bg) m (načálnik)
• Czech: velitel (cs) m
• Dutch: aanvoerder (nl) m, gezagvoerderm
• Estonian: ülem
• Finnish: johtaja (fi), päällikkö (fi)
• Greek:

  Ancient: κοίρανος m (koíranos)

• Guaraní: mburuvicha
• Hindi: सरदार (hi) m (sardār)
• Indonesian: komandan (id)
• Ingrian: komandira
• Latin: ductor (la) m, praepositus m
• Manx: anneyder m
• Maori: toihau
• Middle English: comaundour
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: дарга (mn) (darga)

• Portuguese: comandante (pt) m or f
• Russian: команди́р (ru) m (komandír), нача́льник (ru) m (načálʹnik)
• Sanskrit: अधिप (sa) m (adhipa)
• Scottish Gaelic: ceannard m
• Sicilian: capu (scn) m, capitanu (scn) m, capurali m, capitanu (scn) m, cumannanti m, cumanneri m
• Spanish: comandante (es) m
• Tocharian B: tāś

commander in an honorary order

• Danish: kommandør (da) c
• Dutch: commandeur (nl) m
• French: commandeur (fr) m
• Marathi: कमांडर (kamāṇḍar)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: kommandør m

  Nynorsk: kommandør m

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French comander, from Latin commandāre, variant of commendāre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɔ.mɑ̃.de/
• Homophones: commandai, commandé, commandée, commandées, commandés, commandez

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

commander

1. to order (tell someone to do something)
2. to order (ask for a product)

Conjugation

Conjugation of commander (see also Appendix:French verbs)

infinitive	simple	commander
	compound	avoir + past participle
present participle or gerund1	simple	commandant /kɔ.mɑ̃.dɑ̃/
	compound	ayant + past participle
past participle		commandé /kɔ.mɑ̃.de/
		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		je (j’)	tu	il, elle, on	nous	vous	ils, elles
(simple tenses)	present	commande /kɔ.mɑ̃d/	commandes /kɔ.mɑ̃d/	commande /kɔ.mɑ̃d/	commandons /kɔ.mɑ̃.dɔ̃/	commandez /kɔ.mɑ̃.de/	commandent /kɔ.mɑ̃d/
	imperfect	commandais /kɔ.mɑ̃.dɛ/	commandais /kɔ.mɑ̃.dɛ/	commandait /kɔ.mɑ̃.dɛ/	commandions /kɔ.mɑ̃.djɔ̃/	commandiez /kɔ.mɑ̃.dje/	commandaient /kɔ.mɑ̃.dɛ/
	past historic2	commandai /kɔ.mɑ̃.de/	commandas /kɔ.mɑ̃.da/	commanda /kɔ.mɑ̃.da/	commandâmes /kɔ.mɑ̃.dam/	commandâtes /kɔ.mɑ̃.dat/	commandèrent /kɔ.mɑ̃.dɛʁ/
	future	commanderai /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁe/	commanderas /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁa/	commandera /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁa/	commanderons /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁɔ̃/	commanderez /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁe/	commanderont /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁɔ̃/
	conditional	commanderais /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁɛ/	commanderais /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁɛ/	commanderait /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁɛ/	commanderions /kɔ.mɑ̃.də.ʁjɔ̃/	commanderiez /kɔ.mɑ̃.də.ʁje/	commanderaient /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁɛ/
(compound tenses)	present perfect	present indicative of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
	past anterior2	past historic of avoir + past participle
	future perfect	future of avoir + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive		que je (j’)	que tu	qu’il, qu’elle	que nous	que vous	qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple tenses)	present	commande /kɔ.mɑ̃d/	commandes /kɔ.mɑ̃d/	commande /kɔ.mɑ̃d/	commandions /kɔ.mɑ̃.djɔ̃/	commandiez /kɔ.mɑ̃.dje/	commandent /kɔ.mɑ̃d/
	imperfect2	commandasse /kɔ.mɑ̃.das/	commandasses /kɔ.mɑ̃.das/	commandât /kɔ.mɑ̃.da/	commandassions /kɔ.mɑ̃.da.sjɔ̃/	commandassiez /kɔ.mɑ̃.da.sje/	commandassent /kɔ.mɑ̃.das/
(compound tenses)	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect2	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nous	vous	–
simple		—	commande /kɔ.mɑ̃d/	—	commandons /kɔ.mɑ̃.dɔ̃/	commandez /kɔ.mɑ̃.de/	—
compound		—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way: past historic → present perfect past anterior → pluperfect imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive (Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

Derived terms

• commandeur
• commandement

Related terms

• commande

Descendants

• Haitian Creole: kòmande
• → Northern Kurdish: komandar
• → Portuguese: comandar
• → Romanian: comanda

Further reading

• “commander”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.