commanded; commanding; commands
1
: to direct authoritatively : order
commanded adherence to the rules
2
: to exercise a dominating influence over : have command of: such as
a
: to have at one's immediate disposal
commands many resources
b
: to demand or receive as one's due
commands a high fee
c
: to overlook or dominate from or as if from a strategic position
a hill that commands the city
d
: to have military command of as senior officer
command a regiment
3
obsolete
: to order or request to be given
1
: to have or exercise direct authority : govern
a leader who knows how to command well
2
: to give orders
Rob seldom commanded, but when he did Master Ted had to give in.—
Louisa May Alcott
3
: to be commander
The general will command at the western front.
4
: to dominate as if from an elevated place
1
a
: an order given
The command was to hold fire.
b(1)
: a signal that actuates a device (such as a control mechanism in a spacecraft or one step in a computer)
(2)
: the activation of a device by means of such a signal
(3)
: a line of code (see code entry 1 sense 5) instructing a computer to send such a signal
2
a
: the ability to control : mastery
She was in command of her emotions.
b
: the authority or right to command
the officer in command
c(1)
: the power to dominate
The fort has command of the valley.
(2)
: scope of vision
The tower provides a wide command of the neighboring hills.
d
: facility in use
a good command of French
e
: control sense 1d
a pitcher with good command of his curveball
3
: the act of commanding
The troops will charge at command.
4
: the personnel, area, or organization under a commander
specifically
: a unit of the U.S. Air Force higher than an air force
5
: a position of highest usually military authority
He was relieved of his command after being charged with misconduct.
: done on command or request
a command performance
Synonyms
Examples of command in a Sentence
Verb
She commanded us to leave.
Military leaders commanded the troops to open fire.
She commanded that work on the bridge cease immediately.
We had no choice but to do as they commanded.
He commands a platoon of 60.
With his skills and experience, he can command a high salary.
The company commands much power and influence in the business world.
Noun
We are expected to obey his commands.
She shouted out commands to the crew.
We started to teach the dog simple commands like “sit” and “lie down.”
You can perform several actions with keyboard commands.
The system recognizes voice commands.
He was relieved of his command after being charged with misconduct.
Who is the officer in command of the unit?
I assumed command of the business after my father's death.
He immediately took command of the situation.
He finally felt in command of his life.
Recent Examples on the Web
Anthony Demarco, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024
Hager finished his 35-year military career as deputy commanding general for operations, Cyber National Mission Force and mobilization assistant to the commander for USCYBERCOM.
—Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 25 Nov. 2024
Once installed, the malware connects to a remote server (think of it as a command center for hackers) to receive instructions.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 25 Nov. 2024
Oren Liebermann, CNN, 23 July 2021
See all Example Sentences for command 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Today, her Black Label Masterpieces can command prices beyond $10 million.
—Noun
The Wall Street Journal: Ukraine’s Western missiles threaten big Russian assets: airports, ammo depots and command headquarters.
—Adjective
An upcoming marksmanship exercise for early-August was also canceled, as were a pre-command course, firearms training for soldiers who need to improve their marksmanship, and more.
—Dictionary Entries Near command
Cite this Entry
“Command.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/command. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
command
1 of 2 verb
com·mand
kə-ˈmand 
1
a
: to issue orders by right of authority
b
: to have authority and control over : be commander of
command an army
2
: to have for one's use
commands many resources
3
: to demand or receive as one's due : exact
commands a high fee
4
: to look down on especially from a militarily strong position
the hill commands the town
command
2 of 2 noun1
: the act of commanding
march on command
2
: an order given
obey a command
3
a
: the ability to control : mastery
a good command of French
b
: the authority, right, or power to command
4
: the people, area, or unit under a commander
5
: a position from which military operations are directed
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