command
/kəˈmɑːnd
/verb
1 [reporting verb] Give an authoritative or peremptory order: [with object and infinitive]: a gruff voice commanded us to enter [with direct speech]: ‘Stop arguing!’ he commanded [with clause]: he commanded that work should cease [with object]: my mother commands my presence...
- ‘In here, men,’ a gruff voice commanded as the feet drew nearer.
- ‘Bring him to me,’ she commanded, her voice authoritative and unwavering.
- ‘Give the phone back to my mother,’ she commanded, her voice like steel.
Synonyms
order, give orders to, give the order to, tell, direct, instruct, call on, enjoin, adjure, charge, require, prescribe
literary bid
1.1 [with object] Military Have authority over; be in charge of (a unit): he commanded a Hurricane squadron...
- He then commanded a unit in Miami, charged with conducting operations against Communist Cuba.
- John fought in Vietnam and commanded a helicopter unit in Somalia.
- He commanded the unit for six years and was its honorary colonel twice.
1.2 [with object] archaic Control or restrain (oneself or one’s feelings): he commanded himself with an effort...
- He proves that he holds a strong command over his desires, exercises sound self-control, and enjoys the taste of disciplinary life.
- His command over his body language is as strong as his control over the fighters he leads.
- We have poor command over our image in the media.
2 [with object] Dominate (a strategic position) from a superior height: the fortress commands the shortest Channel crossing...
- The projecting balconies of the nine-storeyed palace gracefully rises to a mountain height, commanding a bird's view of the town.
- Rhum is famous not just as a National Nature Reserve but also for the splendid red sandstone Kinloch Castle, which commands sensational views from its steadfast position at the head of Loch Scresort.
- An excursion to the Castle, a fortress that commands the road to Salzburg costs £15.
Synonyms
be in charge of, be in command of, have charge of, have control of, be the leader of, be the boss of, preside over, be in authority over, hold sway over;
head, lead, rule, govern, control, direct, guide, manage, supervise, superintend, oversee;
be in the driver's seat, be in the saddle, be at the helm, take the chair
informal head up, run the show, call the shots, call the tune
3 [with object] Be in a strong enough position to have or secure: they command a majority in Parliament he commanded considerable personal loyalty...
- This is evidence that not only are people buying homes, but that demand in the market is strong enough to command premium asking prices.
- Items that are hard to find in the original labeled box, that are in unused condition and in boxes, and that are in fine condition commanded the strongest prices.
- The political leader of the opposition party which commands the majority in the Parliament, usually holds the post of Opposition Leader.
Synonyms
receive, be given, get, gain, obtain, secure
noun
1An authoritative order: he obeyed her commands without question...
- The soldiers obeyed his command because he had ordered them to.
- People merely obey arbitrary commands and orders, but they respond quickly and usually give extra effort for leaders who genuinely care for them.
- It wasn't a question it was a command which Pearl quickly obeyed.
Synonyms
order, instruction, directive, direction, commandment, injunction, demand, stipulation, requirement, exhortation, bidding, request;
decree, dictate, diktat, edict, ruling, resolution, pronouncement, ordinance, mandate, fiat, precept
literary behest
archaic hest
rare rescript
1.1 [mass noun] Authority, especially over armed forces: an officer took command who’s in command?...
- The ship's arrival posed a problem to the British authorities, then in command of the Cape.
- ‘Russell has a natural energy and authority, and he took command of that ship from the beginning’.
- His uncle was stationed in command of the imperial naval base at Misenum, on the north-west extremity of the Bay of Naples.
Synonyms
authority, control, charge, power, direction, dominion, domination, influence, sway, guidance;
leadership, mastery, rule, government, management, supervision, superintendence, administration, jurisdiction
1.2 [treated as singular or plural] Military A group of officers exercising control over a particular group or operation: a five-member general command...
- Strategic and operational command used tactical forces and assets and created favorable conditions for their use.
- The Army needs competent, confident, adaptive thinkers to exercise battle command.
- The military's southern command said an infantry brigade has been sent to the site to assist the citizens.
1.3 Military A body of troops or a district under the control of a particular officer.It will also be necessary to do some adjustments to the structure of commands of the military districts and fronts....
- Despite the diverse missions of the District's many commands, virtually all of them share one thing in common.
- Across the command, deployment orders were flowing.
2 [in singular] The ability to use or control something: he had a brilliant command of English...
- Tonight we saw that he has an equal command over domestic issues.
- Once you have a command over these combinations, you can always improvise and go beyond that depending on your creativity.
- First, one must have a firm command over classical Arabic language including its vocabulary, grammar, metaphors, and idioms.
Synonyms
knowledge, mastery, grasp, grip, comprehension, understanding;
ability in, fluency in
3 Computing An instruction or signal causing a computer to perform one of its basic functions.The custom commands are simply instructions you speak to the computer and then it performs the designated task....
- It's a safe way to execute commands on remote computers.
- You can also use commands to change the order of word fields - for example, make the first word in a line, the fourth - and the fourth word, the first.
Phrases
at someone's command
word of command
Origin
Middle English: from Old French comander 'to command', from late Latin commandare, from com- (expressing intensive force) + mandare 'commit, command'. Compare with commend.