command

[ kuh-mand, -mahnd ]

/ kəˈmænd, -ˈmɑnd /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR command ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to direct with specific authority or prerogative; order: The captain commanded his men to attack.

to require authoritatively; demand: She commanded silence.

to have or exercise authority or control over; be master of; have at one's bidding or disposal: The Pharaoh commanded 10,000 slaves.

to deserve and receive (respect, sympathy, attention, etc.): He commands much respect for his attitude.

to dominate by reason of location; overlook: The hill commands the sea.

to have authority over and responsibility for (a military or naval unit or installation); be in charge of.

verb (used without object)

to issue an order or orders.

to be in charge; have authority.

to occupy a dominating position; look down upon or over a body of water, region, etc.

noun

the act of commanding or ordering.

an order given by one in authority: The colonel gave the command to attack.

Military.

an order in prescribed words, usually given in a loud voice to troops at close-order drill: The command was “Right shoulder arms!”
the order of execution or the second part of any two-part close-order drill command, as face in Right face!
(initial capital letter) a principal component of the U.S. Air Force: Strategic Air Command.
a body of troops or a station, ship, etc., under a commander.

the possession or exercise of controlling authority: a lieutenant in command of a platoon.

expertise; mastery: He has a command of French, Russian, and German.

British. a royal order.

power of dominating a region by reason of location; extent of view or outlook: the command of the valley from the hill.

Computers.

an electric impulse, signal, or set of signals for initiating an operation in a computer.
a character, symbol, or item of information for instructing a computer to perform a specific task.
a single instruction.

adjective

of, relating to, or for use in the exercise of command: a command car; command post.

of or relating to a commander: a command decision.

ordered by a sovereign, as if by a sovereign, or by the exigencies of a situation: a command performance.

Origin of command

1250–1300; (v.) Middle English coma(u)nden < Anglo-French com(m)a(u)nder, Old French comander < Medieval Latin commandāre, equivalent to Latin com- com- + mandāre to entrust, order (cf. commend); (noun) late Middle English comma(u)nde < Anglo-French, Old French, noun derivative of the v.

SYNONYMS FOR command

1 bid, demand, charge, instruct, enjoin.

3 govern, control, oversee, manage, lead.

4 exact, compel, require, claim, secure.

10 direction, bidding, injunction, charge, mandate, instruction.

13 ascendancy, sway, domination.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR command ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR command

1, 7 obey.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR command ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for command

1. See direct. 3. See rule.

OTHER WORDS FROM command

command·a·ble, adjective pre·com·mand, noun, verb un·com·mand·ed, adjective well-com·mand·ed, adjective

Words nearby command

comma fault, comma position, comma splice, commack, commager, command, command car, command economy, command guidance, command language, command module

Example sentences from the Web for command

Certainly, she seems to command near-total devotion among her clients.

How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze |Lizzie Crocker |January 9, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
You expect soldiers of all ranks to understand the need to respect the chain of command, regardless of personal feelings.

We Need Our Police to Be Better Than This |Nick Gillespie |December 31, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Perhaps the most interesting and indeed relevant of this is the C2 (or Command and Control) addresses found in the malware.

No, North Korea Didn’t Hack Sony |Marc Rogers |December 24, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
According to a military spokesperson, Boko Haram had built a “female wing” in its command structure.

The New Face of Boko Haram’s Terror: Teen Girls |Nina Strochlic |December 13, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

He has been summoned from the command post the NYPD has maintained for a decade just up the street.

Synagogue Slay: When Cops Have to Kill |Michael Daly |December 10, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
You stated you heard no command given to the troops to fire.

Report of the Committee Appointed to Investigate the Railroad Riots in July, 1877 |Various
The magazines were kept open, and every gun, big and little, stood ready to be fired at the word of command.

Fighting in Cuban Waters |Edward Stratemeyer
"I wish to see the officer who is in command here," she continued.

The Blue and The Gray |A. R. White
The weather was warm and the command marched slowly, feeling its way as it went.

History of the Eighty-sixth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, during its term of service |John R. Kinnear
The young lieutenant well knew the dangerous position in which the ship, now under his command, was placed.

Won from the Waves |W.H.G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for command (1 of 2)

command

/ (kəˈmɑːnd) /

verb

(when tr, may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to order, require, or compel

to have or be in control or authority over (a person, situation, etc)

(tr) to have knowledge or use of he commands the language

(tr) to receive as due or because of merit his nature commands respect

to dominate (a view, etc) as from a height

noun

an order; mandate

the act of commanding

the power or right to command

the exercise of the power to command

ability or knowledge; control a command of French

mainly military the jurisdiction of a commander

a military unit or units commanding a specific area or function, as in the RAF

British

an invitation from the monarch
(as modifier)a command performance

computing a word or phrase that can be selected from a menu or typed after a prompt in order to carry out an action

Word Origin for command

C13: from Old French commander, from Latin com- (intensive) + mandāre to entrust, enjoin, command

British Dictionary definitions for command (2 of 2)

Command

/ (kəˈmɑːnd) /

noun

any of the three main branches of the Canadian military forces Air Command

Idioms and Phrases with command

command

In addition to the idiom beginning with command

command performance

also see:

have a good command

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

command

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

adjective

Origin of command

SYNONYMS FOR command

ANTONYMS FOR command

synonym study for command

OTHER WORDS FROM command

Words nearby command

Example sentences from the Web for command

British Dictionary definitions for command (1 of 2)

verb

noun

Word Origin for command

British Dictionary definitions for command (2 of 2)

noun

Idioms and Phrases with command

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

command

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

adjective

Origin of command

SYNONYMS FOR command

ANTONYMS FOR command

synonym study for command

OTHER WORDS FROM command

Words nearby command

Words related to command

Example sentences from the Web for command

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for command (1 of 2)

verb

noun

Word Origin for command

British Dictionary definitions for command (2 of 2)

noun

Idioms and Phrases with command

British Dictionary definitions for command (1 of 2)