commandeer

/kɒmənˈdɪə(ɹ)/

//kɒmənˈdɪə(ɹ)// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"commandeer" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“commandeer” is an uncommon English word, ranked #71,411 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#71,411
frequency rank, English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To seize for military use.

Key facts for commandeer
PropertyValue
Headwordcommandeer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kɒmənˈdɪə(ɹ)/
Letters10
Frequency rank#71,411
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “commandeer” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). commandeer lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for commandeer is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kɒmənˈdɪə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #71,411 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

commandeer doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Late 19th century. From Dutch commanderen (“to command”), partially through its descendant, Afrikaans kommandeer (“to command”). Ultimately from French commander, from Old French comander, from Latin commendare. Doublet of command. The correct English form is commandeer, spelled C-O-M-M-A-N-D-E-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To seize for military use.
  2. 2
    To force into military service.
  3. 3
    To take arbitrarily or by force.
  4. 4
    To take or use for some purpose (not necessarily arbitrarily or by force).

Etymology

Late 19th century. From Dutch commanderen (“to command”), partially through its descendant, Afrikaans kommandeer (“to command”). Ultimately from French commander, from Old French comander, from Latin commendare. Doublet of command.

This word in other languages

requisar(Español)réquisitionner(Français)requirieren(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "commandeer"?
"commandeer" is spelled C-O-M-M-A-N-D-E-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /kɒmənˈdɪə(ɹ)/.
What does "commandeer" mean?
As a verb, "commandeer" means: To seize for military use.
How do you pronounce "commandeer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "commandeer" is /kɒmənˈdɪə(ɹ)/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "commandeer"?
Late 19th century. From Dutch commanderen (“to command”), partially through its descendant, Afrikaans kommandeer (“to command”). Ultimately from French commander, from Old French comander, from Latin commendare. Doublet of command. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “commandeer”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-M-M-A-N-D-E-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kɒmənˈdɪə(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list