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 But commander in chief isn't the only one in office, that's of course, not the only thing on the ballot for November. Abc News, ABC News, 6 Sep. 2024 Here is a look back at part of the Free Press' coverage of the attempt to assassinate sitting commander in chief, President Ronald Reagan. James McCartney, Detroit Free Press, 21 July 2024 Who doesn't want to have his picture taken with amputee veterans of various conflicts to be the next commander in chief? Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2024 Nobody in our exercise took any step to undermine civilian control of the military or disregard an order from the commander in chief. Barton Gellman, Washington Post, 30 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for commander in chief 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'commander in chief.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 17 Sep. 2024.

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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