commanding
Americanadjective
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being in command.
a commanding officer.
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appreciably superior or imposing; winning; sizable.
a commanding position; a commanding lead in the final period.
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having the air, tone, etc., of command; imposing; authoritative.
a man of commanding appearance; a commanding voice.
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dominating by position, usually elevation; overlooking.
a commanding bluff at the mouth of the river.
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(of a view, or prospect) provided by a commanding location and so permitting dominance.
a commanding view of the mouth of the river.
adjective
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being in command
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having the air of authority
a commanding voice
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(of a position, situation, etc) exerting control
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(of a height, viewpoint, etc) overlooking; advantageous
Other Word Forms
- commandingly adverb
- commandingness noun
- quasi-commanding adjective
- quasi-commandingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of commanding
Explanation
Something that's commanding is lofty, high, or impressive. Your thirtieth-floor apartment gives you a commanding view of the city. In the old days, noblemen built their castles up high on hills so they'd have commanding positions over the surrounding countryside: in other words, the height of the castle gave its inhabitants a certain sense of dominance, both symbolically and practically. In the 16th century, this adjective meant "nobly dignified," as a commander might be, and by about 1630, it came to mean "dominant by virtue of size or position."
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.
A commanding 7-1 aggregate win over Bologna sealed their place in the Europa League semi-final with minimum fuss at Villa Park.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
It is perhaps harsh to include Tottenham, considering north London rivals Arsenal were at one point in a more commanding position - but there's plenty of room for the Gunners on this list…
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
Karol G finally commanding this stage was living proof it’s possible to kick that door in.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
Javokhir Sindarov, a 20-year-old from Uzbekistan, is in a commanding position at the Candidates tournament, where the winner gets the chance to play for the World Chess Championship.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026
We pause so the woman can hit a metal button commanding double doors to open and let us into the pediatric ward of the hospital.
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
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.
