commanding

[ kuh-man-ding, -mahn- ]
See synonyms for commanding on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. being in command: a commanding officer.

  2. appreciably superior or imposing; winning; sizable: a commanding position; a commanding lead in the final period.

  1. having the air, tone, etc., of command; imposing; authoritative: a man of commanding appearance; a commanding voice.

  2. dominating by position, usually elevation; overlooking: a commanding bluff at the mouth of the river.

  3. (of a view, or prospect) provided by a commanding location and so permitting dominance: a commanding view of the mouth of the river.

Origin of commanding

1
First recorded in 1475–85; command + -ing2

Other words from commanding

  • com·mand·ing·ly, adverb
  • com·mand·ing·ness, noun
  • qua·si-com·mand·ing, adjective
  • qua·si-com·mand·ing·ly, adverb

Words Nearby commanding

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use commanding in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for commanding

commanding

/ (kəˈmɑːndɪŋ) /


adjective(usually prenominal)
  1. being in command

  2. having the air of authority: a commanding voice

  1. (of a position, situation, etc) exerting control

  2. (of a height, viewpoint, etc) overlooking; advantageous

Derived forms of commanding

  • commandingly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012