These three terms — ‘Commandant’, ‘Commander’ and ‘Commander-in-Chief’ — have somewhat similar meaning and refer to an officer (and the post or position of that officer), usually a military officer, in charge of a unit. However, these words are used depending on the level and/or purpose of that post.

commandants

commandant:

(plural: ‘commandants‘; the letter ‘c’ is said with a ‘k’ sound as in “king”)

[short form: 'Comdt.']

the chief officer in charge of a military organisation, a place, an establishment; a commanding officer,

e.g.

The rebels surrendered to the army, all of them: two hundred soldiers and two deputy commandants and their commandant.

Major Albert was the first commandant to lead the battalions right into the enemy strong holds.

For an interesting article about the speech of the US commandant, please click here.

Libyan rebel commander

commander:

(plural: ‘commanders’; pronunciation: the letter ‘c’ is said with a ‘k’ sound as in “king”)

[short form: 'Cdr.' or 'CDR']
an officer of middle rank in the Navy;

an officer of any rank who is in charge of a group of soldiers,

e.g.

The troops are strictly ordered to obey the commands of their commander, whether it’s a male commander or a female commander.

For an a new item that discusses about the Libyan commander being killed, please click here.

Ms Prathibha Patil, President and Commander-in-Chief of India

commander-in-chief:

(plural: ‘commanders-in-chief; pronunciation: the letter ‘c’ is said with a ‘k’ sound as in “king”)

[short form: 'C-in-C']
an officer in control of all the armed forces of a country, area, etc., usually the political head of the country — the president,

e.g.

The chiefs of the armed forces requested the the President, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the country, to give orders to attack the enemy right away.

For an article that shows the US commander-in-chief, please click here.

About the Author:BC Kumar

BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.

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