commander in chief

noun phrase

: one who holds the supreme command of an armed force

Examples of commander in chief in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Former President Joe Biden, in his final hours as commander in chief, issued preemptive pardons for his family, House Jan. 6 committee members, Fauci and Milley. Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 29 Jan. 2025 Read on at your peril … The series begins with Xavier Collins, a Secret Service agent played by Brown, whose job appears to be to protect Cal Bradford (James Marsden), a former commander in chief who now lives in an idyllic small town. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 28 Jan. 2025 As North Korean soldiers gain battlefield experience by joining Russia’s fight against Ukraine, South Korea is essentially without a commander in chief. John Delury, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2025 Shortly after President Donald Trump was sworn in Monday, Facebook users began to report that their personal accounts automatically followed the new commander in chief. Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for commander in chief 

Word History

First Known Use

1654, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of commander in chief was in 1654

Dictionary Entries Near commander in chief

Cite this Entry

“Commander in chief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commander%20in%20chief. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

commander in chief

: one who holds the supreme command of an armed force

More from Merriam-Webster on commander in chief

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