What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Commanding vs Imperative - What's the difference?

commanding | imperative | Synonyms |

As adjectives the difference between commanding and imperative

is that commanding is tending to give commands, authoritarian while imperative is essential.

As nouns the difference between commanding and imperative

is that commanding is the act of giving a command while imperative is the grammatical mood expressing an order (see jussive). In English, the imperative form of a verb is the same as that of the bare infinitive.

As a verb commanding

is present participle of lang=en.

commanding

English

Verb

(head)
  • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Tending to give commands, authoritarian.
  • * , chapter=19
  • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=Nothing was too small to receive attention, if a supervising eye could suggest improvements likely to conduce to the common welfare. Mr. Gordon Burnage, for instance, personally visited dust-bins and back premises, accompanied by a sort of village bailiff, going his round like a commanding officer doing billets.}}
  • Impressively dominant.
  • Synonyms

    * (tending to give commands) bossy, imposing * See also

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act of giving a command.
  • * 2006 , William E. Mann, Augustine's Confessions (page 172)
  • God could then have dispelled their ignorance by revealing to them that He had issued those commands; the fact of the occurrence of the earlier commandings would be the content of the revelation.

    imperative

    English

    Alternative forms

    *

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • essential
  • It is imperative that you come here right now.
  • (computing theory) Having a semantics that incorporates mutable variables.
  • (grammar) of, or relating to the imperative mood
  • Expressing a command; authoritatively or absolutely directive.
  • imperative orders
  • * Bishop Hall
  • The suits of kings are imperative .

    Noun

  • (uncountable, grammar) The grammatical mood expressing an order (see jussive). In English, the imperative form of a verb is the same as that of the bare infinitive.
  • The verbs in sentences like "Do it!" and "Say what you like!" are in the imperative .
  • (countable, grammar) A verb in imperative mood.
  • (countable) An essential action, a must: something which is imperative.
  • Visiting Berlin is an imperative .
  • *
  • Synonyms

    * (grammatical mood) imperative mood

    Derived terms

    * first imperative (Latin grammar) * second imperative (Latin grammar) * categorical imperative

    Coordinate terms

    * (in grammar) assertoric, interrogative