wing commander

noun

: a commissioned officer in the British air force who ranks with a lieutenant colonel in the army

Examples of wing commander in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nemeth, a pilot who was new to the Guard, was saluted by the organization as California’s first female wing commander. Paul Pringle, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2024 Under Brown the cultural shift took hold and remains in place today, said Rew, who was one of Brown’s instructors at the weapons school and wing commander during Brown's time as commandant. Tara Copp, BostonGlobe.com, 25 May 2023 Bacon, before turning to politics, was a career Air Force officer, rising to brigadier general and wing commander at Ramstein Air Base, in Germany, and Offutt Air Force Base, in Nebraska. David Mark, Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2020 Yeager also served as a wing commander in the Vietnam War, bringing his combat experience to a younger generation of fighter pilots. Rob Verger, Popular Science, 8 Dec. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wing commander was in 1914

Dictionary Entries Near wing commander

Cite this Entry

“Wing commander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wing%20commander. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!