command
Cross references:
1. power
1. com.mand \k*-'mand\ vb [ME comanden, fr. OF comander, fr. (assumed) VL
commandare, a]lter. of L commendare to commit to one's charge - more at
COMMEND 1: to direct authoritatively : ORDER 2: to exercise a dominating
influence over : as 2a: to have at one's immediate disposal 2b: to demand
as one's due : EXACT {~s a high fee} 2c: to overlook or dominate from a
strategic position 2d: to have military or naval command of as senior
officer obs 2: to order or request to be given 1: to have or to exercise
direct authority : GOVERN 2: to give orders 3: to be commander 4: to
dominate from an elevated positionMINSTRUCT, CHARGE mean to issue orders.
COMMAND and ORDER imply authority and usu. some degree of formality and
impersonality; COMMAND stresses official exercise of authority, ORDER may
suggest peremptory or arbitrary exercise; BID suggests giving orders
peremptorily as to children or servants; ENJOIN implies giving an order or
direction authoritatively and urgently and often with admonition or
solicitude; DIRECT and INSTRUCT both connote expectation of obedience and
usu. concern specific points of procedure or method, INSTRUCT sometimes
implying greater explicitness or formality; CHARGE adds to ENJOIN an
implication of imposing as a duty or responsibility SYN syn COMMAND, ORDER,
BID, ENJOIN, DIRECT, (
2. command n 1: the act of commanding 2: an order given 3a: the ability
to control : MASTERY 3b: the authority or right to command 3c1: the power
to dominate 3c2: scope of vision 3d: facility in use 4: the personnel,
area, or organization under a commander 5: a position of highest authority
3. command aj : done on command or request