command

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
command/kəˈmɑːnd/

▶verb

• 1 give an authoritative or peremptory order.

  ■ Military be in charge of (a unit).

  ■ archaic control or restrain (oneself or one's feelings).

• 2 dominate (a strategic position) from a superior height.

• 3 be in a strong enough position to have or secure: they command a majority in Parliament.

▶noun

• 1 an authoritative order.

  ■ authority, especially over armed forces: the officer in command.

  ■ a group of officers exercising control over a group or operation.

  ■ a body of troops or a district under the control of a particular officer.

• 2 the ability to use or control something: his command of English.

• 3 an instruction causing a computer to perform one of its basic functions.

– origin ME: from OFr. comander, from late L. commandare, from com- (expressing intensive force) + mandare ‘commit, command’.