French Conversation · Level 88
60 words
French word
commandement
Pronunciation
IPA/komɑ̃dəmɑ̃/
Meaning
- masculine nouncommand
Example
Le capitaine a pris le commandement de l'équipe.
The captain took command of the team.
More examples
Il est au commandement de l'équipe projet depuis deux ans.
He has been in command of the project team for two years.
Core concept
A leader stands at the head of a team, making decisions and coordinating its movement.
Common phrases
être au commandement de
be in command of
passer le commandement à
hand over command to
Similar words
autorité: The recognized power or standing to have others obey.
chef: A person in charge who determines policy and brings people together.
commande: An order for goods or services, or the act of placing it.
ordre: A formal direction to perform a specified action.
Definition in French
Acte de prendre la direction d'un groupe ou d'une opération et l'autorité attachée à cette direction.
Word origin
The noun commandement was formed from the verb commander with the productive French suffix -ement, and commander traces back to Latin commandare, based on mandare, "to entrust".
Usage tips
- French commander can refer either to directing people or ordering goods, while commande refers to a purchase or order, so context distinguishes the two uses.