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Commander vs Chieftain - What's the difference?

commander | chieftain | Related terms |

Commander is a related term of chieftain.


As nouns the difference between commander and chieftain

is that commander is one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization while chieftain is a leader of a clan or tribe.

commander

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • One who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization.
  • A naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain.
  • One who exercises control and direction over a group of persons.
  • A designation or rank in certain non-military organizations such as NASA and various police forces.
  • (obsolete) The chief officer of a commandry.
  • A heavy beetle or wooden mallet, used in paving, in sail lofts, etc.
  • A rank within an honorary order: e.g. Commander of the Legion of Honour.
  • chieftain

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A leader of a clan or tribe.
  • A leader of a group, e.g. a robbers' chieftain.
  • Synonyms

    * (A very powerful person) chief, big gun, big shot, big wheel, bigwig, boss, employer, foreman, head, heid bummer, leader, mandarin, manager, mover and shaker, top banana, top dog, tycoon