/ Dictionary / Index C command: Meaning and Definition of Find definitions for: com•mand Pronunciation: (ku-mand', -mänd'), [key] — v.t. to direct with specific authority or prerogative; order: The captain commanded his men to attack. to require authoritatively; demand: She commanded silence. to have or exercise authority or control over; be master of; have at one's bidding or disposal: The Pharaoh commanded 10,000 slaves. to deserve and receive (respect, sympathy, attention, etc.): He commands much respect for his attitude. to dominate by reason of location; overlook: The hill commands the sea. to have authority over and responsibility for (a military or naval unit or installation); be in charge of. —v.i. to issue an order or orders. to be in charge; have authority. to occupy a dominating position; look down upon or over a body of water, region, etc. —n. the act of commanding or ordering. an order given by one in authority: The colonel gave the command to attack. The command was “Right shoulder arms!” an order in prescribed words, usually given in a loud voice to troops at close-order drill:The command was “Right shoulder arms!” the order of execution or the second part of any two-part close-order drill command, as face in Right face! (cap.) a principal component of the U.S. Air Force:Strategic Air Command. a body of troops or a station, ship, etc., under a commander. the possession or exercise of controlling authority: a lieutenant in command of a platoon. expertise; mastery: He has a command of French, Russian, and German. a royal order. power of dominating a region by reason of location; extent of view or outlook: the command of the valley from the hill. an electric impulse, signal, or set of signals for initiating an operation in a computer. a character, symbol, or item of information for instructing a computer to perform a specific task. a single instruction. —adj. of, pertaining to, or for use in the exercise of command: a command car; command post. of or pertaining to a commander: a command decision. ordered by a sovereign, as if by a sovereign, or by the exigencies of a situation: a command performance. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease. See also: command (Thesaurus) Commager commandant Related Content Daily Word Quiz: hedonist Analogy of the Day: Today’s Analogy Spelling Bee: Today’s Spelling Bee Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language