com·mand / kəˈmand/ • v. [tr.] 1. give an authoritative order: a gruff voice commanded us to enter. ∎  [intr.] give orders: she commands and we obey. ∎  [intr.] have authority: someone born to command. ∎  Mil. have authority over; be in charge of (a unit). ∎  dominate (a strategic position) from a superior height: the two castles commanded the harbor. ∎  archaic control or restrain (oneself or one's feelings).2. be in a strong enough position to secure: no party commanded a majority. ∎  deserve and receive: a moral force that commanded respect.• n. an authoritative order. ∎  Comput. an instruction or signal that causes a computer to perform one of its basic functions. ∎  authority, esp. over armed forces: an officer took command. ∎  [in sing.] the ability to use or control something: he had a brilliant command of English. ∎  [treated as sing. or pl.] Mil. a group of officers exercising control over a particular group or operation. ∎  Mil. a body of troops or a district under the control of a particular officer. .PHRASES: at someone's command at someone's disposal; available.

command vb. XIII. ME. com(m)a(u)nde — AN. comaunder, OF. comander (mod. comm-) :- late L. commandāre, f. COM- (intensive) + mandāre enjoin; see MANDATE.
Hence command sb. XVI. So commandant XVII. — F., or It., etc. commander, commandment XIII. — OF. commando (orig. S. Africa) military party, raid. XIX. — Pg.

command
1. See job-control language.

2. Obsolete name for instruction or statement, i.e. the elementary unit from which a program is built up.

Command

a military or naval force; a body of troops under a commander, 1592.