commander
n. countablen. a person who is in charge of a group of people, especially in the military or on a ship. This person gives orders and makes important decisions for the team.
n. an officer in charge of a military unit or a specific operation; also a specific naval rank below captain. Often used as a formal title before a person's name.
The commander ordered the soldiers to move forward.
After years of service, she was promoted to commander of the regional task force.
The naval commander maintained strict discipline aboard the vessel, ensuring that every crew member understood their role during the complex docking maneuvers.
From Middle English comaundour, commaunder, comaunder, borrowed from Old French comandeor, cumandeur, from comander. By surface analysis, command + -er. See command.
Often functions as a title (e.g., Commander Smith); when used this way, it is typically capitalized.