The captain will go to the meteorological office to get a weather briefing.
Source: tatoeba (20466)
Captain
/ˈkæp.tən/
Synonyms for "captain" (236 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (48)
adcadministeradministrateadmiralaeronautaeroplaneraeroplanistaideaide-de-campair pilotairmanairplanistastronautaviatorbailiffbarnstormerbe masterbe responsible forbeadlebeagle
Strong matches (70)
cloud seedercocolonelcommandcommandantcommandercommander in chiefcommanding officercommercial pilotcommissioned officercommissionercommodorecompany officerconductconstablecontrolcopilotcrop-dusterdeck officerdeputy
Show 41 more words
deputy sheriffdetectivedirectdirectordisciplineengineerensignexecexecutiveexecutive officerfedfederalfield marshalfield officerfirst lieutenantfive-star generalfleet admiralflicflierflyerfour-star generalg mang-mangendarmegeneralgeneral officergeneralissimogoverngovernment mangovernorhandleheadhead upinspectorinstructorintendantjemadarjet jockeyjunior officerlay down the lawlead
Related words (118)
lead onlicensed pilotlictorlieutenantlieutenant colonellieutenant commanderlieutenant generallieutenant junior grademace-bearermajormajor generalmake the rulesmanagemanagermaneuvermanipulatemarechalmarshalmastermastermind
Show 80 more words
matemounted policemanmpnarcnaval officernavarchnavigatenavigating officernavigatorodofficerone-star generalorderorderly officerpatrolmanpatronpeace officerpetty officerpilotpipespolice captainpolice commissionerpolice constablepolice inspectorpolice matronpolice officerpolice sergeantpolicemanpolicewomanportreeveprescribepresidepreside overpull the stringsquarterbackquartermasterrainmakerrear admiralreeveregulaterisaldarroundsmanrulerrunsailing mastersailorsecond matesenior officersergeantsergeant at armsshavetailsheriffshipmastersirdarskipperstaff officerstand overstunt flierstunt mansubahdarsubalternsublieutenantsuperintendentsupervisetake commandtake the leadtest pilotthe brassthe old manthree-star generaltipstafftipstavestop brasstroopertwo-star generalvice admiralwarrant officerwatch officerwield authoritywingman
Noun(16 words)
Preposition(1 words)
on field leader
Verb(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: master, skipper, adc, administer, administrate.
- Sentence evidence is available for captain, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "captain".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "captain"
Keep "captain" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "captain" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "captain", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "captain" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
20 entriesShowing 16 of 20 words.
More specific
15 entriesair force captainaircraft captainairline captainarmy captainbaseball captainbasketball captainclub captainfield campaign captainnaval captainresearch project captainsea captainship captainship's captainsoccer captainteam captain
Collocations
10 entriesairline captaincaptain of industrycaptain of the teamcaptain's chaircaptain's logcaptain's rolecaptaincysea captainship captainteam captain
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
2 entriesSample sentences
26 total sentences available.
We cheered for him and chose him as our captain.
Source: tatoeba (21030)
The first man that succeed in swimming the Channel was Captain Webb.
Source: tatoeba (26121)
We elected Jeffrey captain of our team.
Source: tatoeba (29096)
Showing 4 of 26 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "captain"?
Closest matches include master, skipper, adc, administer, administrate.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "captain"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.