commanding officer

Definition of commanding officernext
as in commander
one in official command especially of a military force or base reported directly to the fort's commanding officer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of commanding officer Adam Peeples, commanding officer of Ashland, said in a statement. Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2026 After giving his all during basic training and becoming one of the top trainees in boot camp, his commanding officers assigned him to the kitchen because of his emotional state. Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026 The actor — currently at the Cannes Film Festival — has a small role in the film, Variety understands, joining Noah Centineo as Rambo and the recently announced David Harbour as Rambo’s commanding officer Major Trautman. Alex Ritman, Variety, 16 May 2026 Franco has a small role in the film, which stars Noah Centineo as a young John Rambo and David Harbour as Major Trautman, Rambo’s commanding officer. Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 16 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for commanding officer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commanding officer
Noun
  • On Thursday, photos released by state broadcaster IRIB showed the commander sitting next to Khamenei’s casket during a farewell ceremony in Tehran.
    Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • Xi, who is also head of the military, presented orders promoting Zhang Shuguang and air force commander Wang Gang to generals at a ceremony Friday.
    ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Noun
  • Trump fired the woman commandant of the Coast Guard, the Black combat-veteran Air Force general who was the chair of the Joint Chiefs, and the first woman to be the chief of naval operations.
    David Remnick, New Yorker, 17 June 2026
  • The State Police will also hire a civilian director to work alongside the academy’s commandant, and institute baseline physical and psychological screenings for recruits before the academy begins.
    Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 20 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Commanding officer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commanding%20officer. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster