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second-in-command

second-in-command

28 3.7
A person who helps the leader and takes charge if they are away
  • noun
  • /ˈsɛkənd ɪn kəˈmænd/
translation icon : segundo al mando
  • As the second-in-command, she often managed the team while the director was away.

Ronnie needed his second in command.

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Examples

  • This is my second-in-command, Carlos.

  • The Deputy Director is the second in command, and there is only one.

    Blog text (32)
  • The answer is yes, because she is second in command right now.

  • I said you were second in command.

  • Last I checked, you were second in command.

  • And then below them you have all these monks, but the second in command is the prior.

  • He'll be your second-in-command on this thing.

  • Agnew was second in command.

  • Further promotions meant that he was appointed second in command of Wallace at the unusually early age of 21.

  • Kane was a risk taker, but as second-in-command, he should have also had common sense.

    Blog text (10)

Synonyms

executive officer
vssecond-in-command
50 4.9

A person who is second in command and runs daily work in a military unit or organization

is the general label for the person below the leader across organizations
subcommander
vssecond-in-command
  • Specialized
5 7.0

A person just below the leader in a military or similar group

is used more widely across organizations not only in military contexts
subchief
vssecond-in-command
6.2

A person with a rank just below the main leader in a group

focuses on being the deputy who takes over when the leader is absent

Antonyms

1.0

A person who guides and directs a group, organization, or country

How Important

second-in-command
28 3.7
aide
  • Formal
365 3.5
assistant
833 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

second-in-command = second + command (transparent) = in + second + command

The noun directly means a person who is second in the hierarchy of command, so the phrase structure and sense are readily inferable. [Postprocessing: moved 'in' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

Second-in-command is very literal: second means 'number two' and command means 'to be in charge'. So a second-in-command is the 'number two' person who takes over when the leader is away.