What does "captain" mean?
A chief or leader.
Captain
/ˈkæp.tən/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A chief or leader.
- Grammar: captain is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: master, skipper, adc, administer.
- Useful contrasts: abdicate, admiral, commodore.
- Usage evidence: The captain will go to the meteorological office to get a weather briefing.
How to use "captain"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "captain" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "captain" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "captain" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "captain" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "captain" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "master" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "captain", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A chief or leader.
"For out of the shal come a captaine, whych shall govern my people israhel."
- 2 The honorific of a captain, especially a ship's captain or a person with the military rank of captain.
"These islands were discovered by Captain Cook."
- 3 a dining-room attendant who is in charge of the waiters and the seating of customers wordnet
- 4 The person lawfully in command of a ship or other vessel.
"Merchants, common sailors, captains of vessels, skippers, […] naval officers of all countries, and the Governments of several states on the two continents, were deeply interested in the matter."
- 5 Forms a title for a superhero seen as embodying or possessing in high degree the qualities associated with the ensuing phrase
"Captain America; Captain Marvel; Captain Hindsight"
Show 16 more definitions
- 6 the pilot in charge of an airship wordnet
- 7 An army officer with a rank between the most senior grade of lieutenant and major.
""A fine man, that Dunwody, yonder," commented the young captain, as they parted, and as he turned to his prisoner. "We'll see him on in Washington some day. He is strengthening his forces now against Mr. Benton out there.[…].""
- 8 Forms a title or nickname for a person; typically a nonce coinage broadly, humorous, ironic
"Abbott has this alter ego, Captain Creepy. I mean, if he's not chatting away to the nation about his daughters' virginity, he's using anti-rape slogans to belittle the female Prime Minister."
- 9 the naval officer in command of a military ship wordnet
- 10 A naval officer with a rank between commander and commodore.
- 11 a policeman in charge of a precinct wordnet
- 12 A commissioned officer in the United States Navy, Coast Guard, NOAA Corps, or PHS Corps of a grade superior to a commander and junior to a rear admiral (lower half). A captain is equal in grade or rank to a United States Army, Marine Corps, or Air Force colonel.
- 13 an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant wordnet
- 14 A rank qualifying an airline pilot to act as pilot in command of a two-pilot flight crew.
- 15 the leader of a group of people wordnet
- 16 One of the athletes on a sports team who is designated to make decisions, and is allowed to speak for his team with a referee or official.
"Captain's supposed to be the leader, right?"
- 17 an officer who is licensed to command a merchant ship wordnet
- 18 The leader of a group of workers.
"John Henry said to the captain, "A man ain't nothing but a man.""
- 19 The head boy of a school.
- 20 A maître d', a headwaiter.
"1977, Don Felder, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey, lyricists, "Hotel California", So I called up the Captain, "Please bring me my wine." / He said: "We haven't had that spirit here since 1969.""
- 21 An honorific title given to a prominent person. See colonel. Southern-US
Verb
- 1 To act as captain intransitive
- 2 be the captain of a sports team wordnet
- 3 To exercise command of a ship, aircraft or sports team. transitive
Example
"The captain will go to the meteorological office to get a weather briefing."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "captain"?
Common synonyms include: master, skipper, adc, administer, administrate, admiral.
How do you use "captain" in a sentence?
The captain will go to the meteorological office to get a weather briefing.
How do you pronounce "captain"?
Pronounced /ˈkæp.tən/.
Etymology
From Middle English capitain, capteyn, from Old French capitaine, from Late Latin capitāneus, from Latin caput (“head”) (English cap). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap-. Doublet of chieftain, also from Old French.