commanding

American  

[kuh-man-ding, -mahn-] / kəˈmæn dɪŋ, -ˈmɑn- /

adjective

1. being in command.

   a commanding officer.

2. appreciably superior or imposing; winning; sizable.

   a commanding position; a commanding lead in the final period.

3. having the air, tone, etc., of command; imposing; authoritative.

   a man of commanding appearance; a commanding voice.

4. dominating by position, usually elevation; overlooking.

   a commanding bluff at the mouth of the river.

5. (of a view, or prospect) provided by a commanding location and so permitting dominance.

   a commanding view of the mouth of the river.

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commanding British  

/ kəˈmɑːndɪŋ /

adjective

1. being in command

2. having the air of authority

   a commanding voice

3. (of a position, situation, etc) exerting control

4. (of a height, viewpoint, etc) overlooking; advantageous

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Other Word Forms

• commandingly adverb
• commandingness noun
• quasi-commanding adjective
• quasi-commandingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of commanding

First recorded in 1475–85; command + -ing ²

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

Against Wolves he was a solid, commanding goalkeeper, which I actually didn't think he had in the locker.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

Colorado defeats the Kings 4-2 to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven first-round playoff series.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

“Geopolitics is having a commanding impact on Bitcoin,” Nexo analyst Iliya Kalchev told Barron’s in an interview.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 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

"His massive figure, commanding, self-confident manner, and magnificent bursts of fiery eloquence, won and held the attention of his audience from the moment he opened his lips."

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

Related Words

• assertive
• compelling
• decisive
• dominant
• dominating
• forceful
• imposing
• impressive
• lofty