[com.mand] vb [ME comanden, fr. MF comander, fr. (assumed) VL commandare, alter. of L commendare to commit to one's charge--more at commend] vt (14c) 1: to direct authoritatively: order
2: to exercise a dominating influence over: have command of: as a: to have at one's immediate disposal b: to demand or receive as one's due "~s a high fee" c: to overlook or dominate from or as if from a strategic position d: to have military command of as senior officer 3 obs: to order or request to be given ~ vi 1: to have or exercise direct authority: govern
2: to give orders
3: to be commander
4: to dominate as if from an elevated place -- com.mand.able adj syn command, order, bid, enjoin, direct, instruct, charge mean to issue orders. command and order imply authority and usu. some degree of formality and impersonality. command stresses official exercise of authority "a general commanding troops". order may suggest peremptory or arbitrary exercise "ordered his employees about like slaves". bid suggests giving orders peremptorily (as to children or servants) "she bade him be seated". enjoin implies giving an order or direction authoritatively and urgently and often with admonition or solicitude "a sign enjoining patrons to be quiet". direct and instruct both connote expectation of obedience and usu. concern specific points of procedure or method, instruct sometimes implying greater explicitness or formality "directed her assistant to hold all calls" "the judge instructed the jury to ignore the remark". charge adds to enjoin an implication of imposing as a duty or responsibility "charged by the President with a secret mission".
[2]command n (15c) 1 a: an order given b: a signal that actuates a device (as a control mechanism in a spacecraft or one step in a computer); also: the activation of a device by means of such a signal
2. a: the ability to control: mastery b: the authority or right to command "the officer in ~" c (1): the power to dominate (2): scope of vision d: facility in use "a good ~ of French"
3: the act of commanding
4: the personnel, area, or organization under a commander; specif: a unit of the U.S. Air Force higher than an air force
5: a position of highest usu. military authority syn see power [3]command adj (1826): done on command or request "a ~ performance"