commander

See also: Commander

English

Etymology

From Middle English comaundour, commaunder, comaunder, borrowed from Old French comandeor, cumandeur, from comander. By surface analysis, command +‎ -er. See command.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /kəˈmændɚ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kəˈmɑːndə/
• (Northern England) IPA^(key): /kəˈmandə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

commander (plural commanders)

1. One who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization.
   • 1883, United States. War Department, Annual Reports of the War Department, volume 1, page 128:

     I think if post commanders of the unchaplained posts could employ acceptable clergymen […] then the needs might be met.

   • 2007 September 30, Douglas Brinkley, “Overlord’s Overlord”, in The New York Times‎^[1]:

     Instead, Korda squeezes Eisenhower’s extraordinary two-term presidency — not to mention his stints as president of Columbia University and commander of NATO forces — into 140 themeless pages.

2. A naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain.
   • 2012, BioWare, Mass Effect 3 (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Earth:

     Shepard: I don't take orders from you anymore, remember?
     Anderson: Consider yourself reinstated... Commander.

3. One who exercises control and direction over a group of persons.
4. A designation or rank in certain non-military organizations such as NASA and various police forces.
5. (obsolete) The chief officer of a commandry.
6. A heavy beetle or wooden mallet, used in paving, in sail lofts, etc.
7. A rank within an honorary order: e.g. Commander of the Legion of Honour.
8. Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the Asian genus Moduza.
9. (Singapore, military) A soldier who has attained the rank of sergeant or higher

Derived terms

• archcommander
• arch-commander
• co-commander
• commanderess
• commander in chief
• commander-in-chief
• commanderless
• commanderlike
• commanderly
• commandership
• commandress
• subcommander
• tactical air commander
• undercommander
• wing commander

Related terms

• commandery

Translations

one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization

• Albanian: komandant (sq) m
• Arabic: آمِر m (ʔāmir), مُقَدَّم (ar) m (muqaddam), قَائِد m (qāʔid), قُمَنْدَان m (qumandān)
• Armenian: հրամանատար (hy) (hramanatar)
• Azerbaijani: komandir, komandan
• Belarusian: камандзі́р m (kamandzír), каманды́р m (kamandýr), ваенача́льнік m (vajenačálʹnik), палкаво́дзец m (palkavódzjec), кама́ндэр m (kamánder) (UK or US armies)
• Bulgarian: команди́р (bg) m (komandír)
• Catalan: comandant (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 司令 (zh) (sīlìng), 司令官 (zh) (sīlìngguān), 指揮官 / 指挥官 (zh) (zhǐhuīguān)

• Czech: velitel (cs) m
• Danish: befalingsmand c, kommandant c (fortress or garrison)
• Dutch: commandant (nl) m, bevelhebber (nl) m
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Estonian: ülem
• Finnish: komentaja (fi)
• French: commandant (fr) m, commandante (fr) f
• Georgian: ზორვარი (zorvari), მეთაური (metauri)
• German: Befehlshaber (de) m, Kommandant (de) m, Kommandeur (de) m, Kommandör m
• Greek: διοικητής (el) m (dioikitís), αρχηγός (el) m (archigós)
• Hebrew: מְפַקֵּד (he) m (m'fakéd), מְפַקֶּדֶת f (mefakedet)
• Hindi: कमांडर (hi) m (kamāṇḍar), कमान अफसर m (kamān aphsar), सेनापति (hi) m (senāpti), सेनानायक (hi) m (senānāyak), सालार (hi) m (sālār), सलार (hi) m (salār), सालारजंग (hi) m (sālārjaṅg), सिपहसालार (hi) m (sipahsālār)
• Hungarian: parancsnok (hu)
• Indonesian: panglima (id), komandan (id)
• Ingrian: komandira
• Irish: ceannasaí m
• Italian: comandante (it) m
• Japanese: 司令 (ja) (しれい, shirei), 司令官 (ja) (しれいかん, shireikan), 指揮官 (ja) (しきかん, shikikan)
• Kazakh: кәмәндір (kämändır), командир (komandir)
• Korean: 사령(司令) (ko) (saryeong), 사령관(司令官) (ko) (saryeonggwan), 지휘관(指揮官) (ko) (jihwigwan)
• Kyrgyz: командир (komandir), саркер (ky) (sarker), сардар (ky) (sardar)
• Latin: imperātor (la) m
• Latvian: komandieris m
• Lithuanian: vadas (lt) m
• Macedonian: команда́нт m (komandánt), запо́ведник m (zapóvednik), команди́р m (komandír), нара́чател m (naráčatel) (not very common)
• Malay: komander
• Maori: toihau, kaiwhakahau
• Marathi: कमांडर m (kamāṇḍar)
• Middle English: capitain, governour
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: командлагч (mn) (komandlagč), жанжин (mn) (žanžin), дарга (mn) (darga)

  Mongolian: ᠻᠣᠮᠠᠨᠳ᠋ᠯᠠᠭᠴᠢ (komandlaɣči), ᠵᠠᠩᠵᠤᠨ (ǰangǰun), ᠳᠠᠷᠤᠭ᠎ᠠ (darug-a)

• Navajo: hashkééjí naatʼááh
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: kommandant m, befalingsmand m

  Nynorsk: kommandant m

• Ottoman Turkish: قوماندان (kumandan)
• Paraguayan Guarani: ^{(please verify)} mburuvicha
• Persian: فرمانده (fa) (farmânde), امیر (fa) (amir)
• Polish: dowódca (pl) m
• Portuguese: comandante (pt) m or f
• Punjabi: ਕੁਮੇਦਾਨ (kumedān)
• Romanian: comandor (ro) m
• Russian: команди́р (ru) m (komandír), военача́льник (ru) m (vojenačálʹnik), полково́дец (ru) m (polkovódec), комма́ндер (ru) m (kommándɛr) (UK or US armies)
• Scottish Gaelic: ceannard m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: заповѐднӣк m, заповјѐднӣк m, кома̀ндант m

  Roman: zapovèdnīk (sh) m, zapovjèdnīk (sh) m, komàndant (sh) m

• Sicilian: cumannanti m, cumanneri m
• Slovak: veliteľ m
• Slovene: poveljnik m, komandant m
• Spanish: comandante (es) m
• Swahili: kamanda (sw)
• Swedish: befälhavare (sv) c
• Tajik: фармондеҳ (tg) (farmondeh), амир (amir)
• Turkish: komutan (tr), kumandan (tr)
• Turkmen: komandir
• Ukrainian: команди́р m (komandýr), воєнача́льник m (vojenačálʹnyk), полково́дець m (polkovódecʹ), кома́ндувач m (kománduvač), кома́ндер m (kománder) (UK or US armies)
• Uyghur: كوماندىر (komandir), قوماندان (qomandan)
• Uzbek: komandir (uz), qoʻmondon (uz)
• Vietnamese: người chỉ huy (vi), tư lệnh (vi)
• Yiddish: קאָמאַנדיר m (komandir)

a naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain

• Afrikaans: kommandeur
• Belarusian: кама́ндэр m (kamánder) (UK or US armies)
• Bulgarian: капита́н тре́ти ранг m (kapitán tréti rang)
• Czech: fregatní kapitán m, komandér m
• Danish: kaptajnløjtnant (da) c
• Dutch: fregatkapitein (nl) m (Belgium), kapitein-luitenant ter zee m (Netherlands)
• Finnish: komentaja (fi), komentajakapteeni (fi)
• French: capitaine de frégate (fr) m
• Greek: αντιπλοίαρχος (el) m (antiploíarchos)
• Indonesian: mayor (id)
• Irish: ceannasaí m
• Marathi: कमांडर (kamāṇḍar)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: kommandør m

• Portuguese: capitão de fragata m
• Russian: комма́ндер (ru) m (kommándɛr) (UK or US armies), капита́н тре́тьего ра́нга (ru) m (kapitán trétʹjevo ránga)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: кома̀ндант m

  Roman: komàndant (sh) m

• Slovene: komandant m
• Ukrainian: кома́ндер m (kománder) (UK or US armies)
• Uzbek: II rang kapitani

one who exercises control and direction over a group of persons

• Bulgarian: нача́лник (bg) m (načálnik)
• Czech: velitel (cs) m
• Dutch: aanvoerder (nl) m, gezagvoerderm
• Estonian: ülem
• Finnish: johtaja (fi), päällikkö (fi)
• Greek:

  Ancient Greek: κοίρανος m (koíranos)

• Hindi: सरदार (hi) m (sardār)
• Indonesian: komandan (id)
• Ingrian: komandira
• Latin: ductor (la) m, praepositus m
• Manx: anneyder m
• Maori: toihau
• Middle English: comaundour
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: дарга (mn) (darga)

• Paraguayan Guarani: ^{(please verify)} mburuvicha
• Portuguese: comandante (pt) m or f
• Russian: команди́р (ru) m (komandír), нача́льник (ru) m (načálʹnik)
• Sanskrit: अधिप (sa) m (adhipa)
• Scottish Gaelic: ceannard m
• Sicilian: capu (scn) m, capitanu (scn) m, capurali m, capitanu (scn) m, cumannanti m, cumanneri m
• Spanish: comandante (es) m
• Tocharian B: tāś

commander in an honorary order

• Danish: kommandør (da) c
• Dutch: commandeur (nl) m
• French: commandeur (fr) m
• Marathi: कमांडर (kamāṇḍar)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: kommandør m

  Nynorsk: kommandør m

French

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ḱe-

Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm

Proto-Italic *kom

Proto-Italic *kom-

Latin con-

Proto-Indo-European *(s)meh₂-der.

Proto-Italic *manus

Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *dʰéh₁tder.

Proto-Italic *-ðō

Proto-Italic *manuðō

Latin mandō

Latin commendō

▲

Latin mandōinflu.

Latin commandāre

Old French comander

Middle French commander

French commander

Inherited from Middle French commander.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɔ.mɑ̃.de/
• Homophones: commandai, commandé, commandée, commandées, commandés, commandez

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Somain)):

  (file)

Verb

commander

1. to order (tell someone to do something)
2. to order (ask for a product)

Conjugation

Conjugation of commander (see also Appendix:French verbs)

infinitive	simple	commander
	compound	avoir + past participle
present participle or gerund1	simple	commandant /kɔ.mɑ̃.dɑ̃/
	compound	ayant + past participle
past participle		commandé /kɔ.mɑ̃.de/
		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		je (j’)	tu	il, elle, on	nous	vous	ils, elles
(simple tenses)	present	commande /kɔ.mɑ̃d/	commandes /kɔ.mɑ̃d/	commande /kɔ.mɑ̃d/	commandons /kɔ.mɑ̃.dɔ̃/	commandez /kɔ.mɑ̃.de/	commandent /kɔ.mɑ̃d/
	imperfect	commandais /kɔ.mɑ̃.dɛ/	commandais /kɔ.mɑ̃.dɛ/	commandait /kɔ.mɑ̃.dɛ/	commandions /kɔ.mɑ̃.djɔ̃/	commandiez /kɔ.mɑ̃.dje/	commandaient /kɔ.mɑ̃.dɛ/
	past historic2	commandai /kɔ.mɑ̃.de/	commandas /kɔ.mɑ̃.da/	commanda /kɔ.mɑ̃.da/	commandâmes /kɔ.mɑ̃.dam/	commandâtes /kɔ.mɑ̃.dat/	commandèrent /kɔ.mɑ̃.dɛʁ/
	future	commanderai /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁe/	commanderas /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁa/	commandera /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁa/	commanderons /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁɔ̃/	commanderez /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁe/	commanderont /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁɔ̃/
	conditional	commanderais /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁɛ/	commanderais /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁɛ/	commanderait /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁɛ/	commanderions /kɔ.mɑ̃.də.ʁjɔ̃/	commanderiez /kɔ.mɑ̃.də.ʁje/	commanderaient /kɔ.mɑ̃.dʁɛ/
(compound tenses)	present perfect	present indicative of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
	past anterior2	past historic of avoir + past participle
	future perfect	future of avoir + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive		que je (j’)	que tu	qu’il, qu’elle	que nous	que vous	qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple tenses)	present	commande /kɔ.mɑ̃d/	commandes /kɔ.mɑ̃d/	commande /kɔ.mɑ̃d/	commandions /kɔ.mɑ̃.djɔ̃/	commandiez /kɔ.mɑ̃.dje/	commandent /kɔ.mɑ̃d/
	imperfect2	commandasse /kɔ.mɑ̃.das/	commandasses /kɔ.mɑ̃.das/	commandât /kɔ.mɑ̃.da/	commandassions /kɔ.mɑ̃.da.sjɔ̃/	commandassiez /kɔ.mɑ̃.da.sje/	commandassent /kɔ.mɑ̃.das/
(compound tenses)	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect2	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nous	vous	–
simple		—	commande /kɔ.mɑ̃d/	—	commandons /kɔ.mɑ̃.dɔ̃/	commandez /kɔ.mɑ̃.de/	—
compound		—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way: past historic → present perfect past anterior → pluperfect imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive (Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

Derived terms

• commandeur
• commandement

Related terms

• commande

Descendants

• Haitian Creole: kòmande
• → Northern Kurdish: komandar
• → Portuguese: comandar
• → Romanian: comanda

Further reading

• “commander”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Middle French

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ḱe-

Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm

Proto-Italic *kom

Proto-Italic *kom-

Latin con-

Proto-Indo-European *(s)meh₂-der.

Proto-Italic *manus

Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *dʰéh₁tder.

Proto-Italic *-ðō

Proto-Italic *manuðō

Latin mandō

Latin commendō

▲

Latin mandōinflu.

Latin commandāre

Old French comander

Middle French commander

Inherited from Old French comander.

Verb

commander

1. to command
2. to recommend

Conjugation

• Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.

Conjugation of commander

infinitive	simple	commander
	compound	avoir + past participle
present participle1 or gerund2	simple	commandant
	compound	present participle or gerund of avoir + past participle
past participle		commandé
		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ie (i’)	tu	il, elle	nous	vous	ilz, elles
(simple tenses)	present	commande	commandes	commande	commandons	commandez	commandent
	imperfect	commandois, commandoys	commandois, commandoys	commandoit, commandoyt	commandions, commandyons	commandiez, commandyez	commandoient, commandoyent
	past historic	commanda	commandas	commanda	commandasmes	commandastes	commanderent
	future	commanderai, commanderay	commanderas	commandera	commanderons	commanderez	commanderont
	conditional	commanderois, commanderoys	commanderois, commanderoys	commanderoit, commanderoyt	commanderions, commanderyons	commanderiez, commanderyez	commanderoient, commanderoyent
(compound tenses)	present perfect	present indicative of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
	past anterior	past historic of avoir + past participle
	future perfect	future of avoir + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive		que ie (i’)	que tu	qu’il, qu’elle	que nous	que vous	qu’ilz, qu’elles
(simple tenses)	present	commande	commandes	commande	commandons	commandez	commandent
	imperfect	commandasse	commandasses	commandast	commandassions	commandassiez	commandassent
(compound tenses)	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nous	vous	–
simple		—	commande	—	commandons	commandez	—
compound		—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—
1 The present participle was variable in gender and number until the 17th century (Anne Sancier-Château [1995], Une esthétique nouvelle: Honoré d'Urfé, correcteur de l'Astrée, p. 179). The French Academy would eventually declare it not to be declined in 1679.
2 The gerund was held to be invariable by grammarians of the early 17th century, and was usable with preposition en, as in Modern French, although the preposition was not mandatory (Anne Sancier-Château [1995], op. cit., p. 180).

Descendants

• French: commander
  • Haitian Creole: kòmande
  • → Northern Kurdish: komandar
  • → Portuguese: comandar
  • → Romanian: comanda