commando
Americannoun
-
(inWorld War II )
-
any of the specially trained Allied military units used for surprise, hit-and-run raids against Axis forces.
-
a member of any of these units.
-
-
any military unit organized for operations similar to those of the commandos of World War II.
-
a member of a military assault unit or team trained to operate quickly and aggressively in especially urgent, threatening situations, as against terrorists holding hostages.
idioms
noun
-
-
an amphibious military unit trained for raiding
-
a member of such a unit
-
-
the basic unit of the Royal Marine Corps
-
(originally) an armed force raised by Boers during the Boer War
-
(modifier) denoting or relating to a commando or force of commandos
a commando raid
a commando unit
adverb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of commando
First recorded in 1785–95; from Afrikaans kommando “raid, raiding party, a unit of militia,” from Portuguese commando “unit commanded,” noun derivative of commandar “to command ”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Israeli air force special forces, trained to carry out commando operations in enemy territory, were also present on the base, according to one of the people familiar with the matter.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
Sri Lanka's police kennels department was mobilised to ensure that local street dogs did not attack Aloka, who was led on a leash held by an army commando.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
Labuschagne, an ex-South African commando, founded Warm Heart Initiative in response to the clashes that followed the translocation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026
Still, Makasi rose quickly, becoming a commando instructor training elite units.
From BBC • Nov. 28, 2025
“That’s enough for today,” said her climbing coach, a female commando from the Special Air Service.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
