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.

---

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

---

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

An old soul with with a huge, commanding voice, his catalog hovers between the orchestral swoon of pre-rock ballads, the pristine melodies of Anita Baker and the rangy, resilient yearning of his hometown’s soul tradition.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 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

Mythos has sparked fears of hackers commanding armies of AI agents able to break through computer defenses with ease.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

"It's something that I'm there for. I'm trying to help the team as much as possible in any single action, not just defending but commanding and on the ball," Raya told Amazon Prime.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Instead of answering, Jack jerked back on the magic bridle, commanding Samson to stop.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Related Words

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