commander in chief

noun

, plural commanders in chief.

1. Also Commander in Chief. the supreme commander of the armed forces of a nation or, sometimes, of several allied nations:

   The president is the Commander in Chief of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force.

2. an officer in command of a particular portion of an armed force who has been given this title by specific authorization.

commander in chief

noun

1. the officer holding supreme command of the forces in an area or operation
2. the officer holding command of a major subdivision of one military service

commander in chief

1. The role of the United States president as highest ranking officer in the armed forces. The Constitution provides this power, but, through the system of checks and balances , gives Congress the authority to declare war. During periods of war, presidents such as Franklin D. Roosevelt , Lyndon Johnson , George H. W. Bush , William Jefferson Clinton , and George W. Bush have taken active roles as commander in chief.

Word History and Origins

Origin of commander in chief¹

First recorded in 1635–45

Example Sentences

The country's military commander in chief wrote on Telegram that the country had faced 1,000 days of "extremely complex, fierce battle for our existence" and "destroying the enemy".

From BBC

The American president is, after all, the commander in chief of the world’s most formidable fighting machine, and the figure ultimately responsible for the nation’s safety and security.

From Los Angeles Times

We’ll probably never know, even when he becomes, once again, commander in chief and appoints his hand-picked loyalists to positions of power in the Pentagon and across the armed forces.

From Salon

The country has been without a president for two years, meaning it has no commander in chief of the army or effective way to deal with an economy in shambles.

From Los Angeles Times

“The uniform in itself was one thing, all that salad dressing — fruit salad, we’d call it — his medals. Once I put that jacket on, I became the commander in chief.”

From Los Angeles Times