- [countable] an order given to a person or an animal
- Begin when I give the command.
- You must obey the captain's commands.
- command to do something He issued the command to retreat.
- Police said he ignored their commands to stop.
Extra ExamplesTopics War and conflictb2- an army officer barking commands at his men
- She has been teaching her dog simple commands.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- basic
- simple
- carry out
- obey
- disobey
- …
- at somebody’s command
- your wish is my command
- [countable] an instruction given to a computer
- The computer executes commands successively in the order they arrive.
- What is the startup command for the program?
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- spoken
- verbal
- voice
- …
- enter
- type
- use
- …
- line
- prompt
- [uncountable] control and authority over a situation or a group of people
- under somebody's command He has 1 200 men under his command.
- command of somebody/something He has command of 1 200 men.
- The police arrived and took command of the situation.
- In 1939 he assumed command of all French naval forces.
- There were many disagreements over the command of the peacekeeping forces.
- in command Who is in command here?
- in command of something/yourself For the first time in years, she felt in command of her life.
- He looked relaxed and totally in command of himself.
- the chain of command
- a breakdown in the command structure
Extra ExamplesTopics War and conflictb2- He had command of 3 000 soldiers.
- She was in complete command of the situation.
- He has lost command of his senses.
- She was in sole command of one million pounds.
- The division was under the command of General George.
- under the direct command of Lieutenant Sykes
- Decisions that are beyond the competence of junior managers should be referred up the chain of command.
- his command over resources
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- complete
- full
- total
- …
- have
- assume
- take
- …
- centre/center
- chair
- deck
- …
- in command
- in command of
- under somebody’s command
- …
- the chain of command
- the line of command
- Command[countable] a part of an army, air force, etc. that is organized and controlled separately; a group of officers who give orders
- Bomber Command
- [uncountable, singular] command (of something) your knowledge of something; your ability to do or use something, especially a language
- Applicants will be expected to have (a) good command of English.
- She has an excellent command of French.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- excellent
- fluent
- good
- …
- have
- demonstrate
- show
- …
- at your command
- command of
order
for computer
control
in army
knowledge
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French comander ‘to command’, from late Latin commandare, from com- (expressing intensive force) + mandare ‘commit, command’. Compare with commend.
Idioms
See command in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee command in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishat your command
- if you have a skill or an amount of something at your command, you are able to use it well and completely
- With all the words at my command, I could not express how I felt.
- The vast knowledge he has at his command will be invaluable in the job.
be at somebody’s command
- (formal) to be ready to obey somebody
- I'm at your command—what would you like me to do?
your wish is my command
- (humorous) used to say that you are ready to do whatever somebody asks you to do
Check pronunciation:
command