command
Americanverb (used with object)
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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)
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to issue an order or orders.
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to be in charge; have authority.
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to occupy a dominating position; look down upon or over a body of water, region, etc.
noun
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the act of commanding or ordering.
- Synonyms:
- injunction, bidding, direction, instruction, mandate, charge
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an order given by one in authority.
The colonel gave the command to attack.
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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
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He has a command of French, Russian, and German.
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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.
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adjective
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of, relating to, or for use in the exercise of command: command post.
a command car;
command post.
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of or relating to a commander.
a command decision.
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ordered by a sovereign, as if by a sovereign, or by the exigencies of a situation.
a command performance.
verb
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(when tr, may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to order, require, or compel
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to have or be in control or authority over (a person, situation, etc)
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(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
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an order; mandate
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the act of commanding
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the power or right to command
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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
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a military unit or units commanding a specific area or function, as in the RAF
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an invitation from the monarch
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( as modifier )
a command performance
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computing a word or phrase that can be selected from a menu or typed after a prompt in order to carry out an action
noun
Related Words
Other Word Forms
- commandable adjective
- precommand noun
- uncommanded adjective
- well-commanded adjective
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” ( commend ); (noun) late Middle English comma(u)nde, from Anglo-French, Old French; the noun is derivative of the verb
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.
