Captain: meaning, definitions and examples

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captain

 

[ ˈkæptɪn ]

Context #1 | Noun

leader

A person who is the leader of a group of people, especially in the military, or the pilot of a ship or aircraft.

Synonyms

chief, commander, leader, skipper

Examples of usage

  • The captain of the football team.
  • He has been promoted to captain of the army.
  • The captain of the ship announced the arrival time.
  • She is the captain of the debate team.
  • The airline captain greeted the passengers.
Context #2 | Noun

sports

The person who is in charge of a sports team or who directs the team during games.

Synonyms

coach, skipper, team leader

Examples of usage

  • The team captain gave a motivational speech before the game.
  • She was selected as the captain of the basketball team.
  • The captain led the team to victory.
Context #3 | Noun

naval

The person in charge of a ship or boat.

Synonyms

commander, master, skipper

Examples of usage

  • The captain navigated the ship through rough waters.
  • The captain ordered the crew to prepare for docking.
Context #4 | Verb

to lead

To be the captain of a sports team.

Synonyms

command, direct, lead

Examples of usage

  • She captains the soccer team.
  • He will captain the team in the next match.

Translations

Translations of the word "captain" in other languages:

🇵🇹 capitão

🇮🇳 कप्तान

🇩🇪 Kapitän

🇮🇩 kapten

🇺🇦 капітан

🇵🇱 kapitan

🇯🇵 キャプテン

🇫🇷 capitaine

🇪🇸 capitán

🇹🇷 kaptan

🇰🇷 캡틴

🇸🇦 قبطان

🇨🇿 kapitán

🇸🇰 kapitán

🇨🇳 船长

🇸🇮 kapitan

🇮🇸 skipstjóri

🇰🇿 капитан

🇬🇪 კაპიტანი

🇦🇿 kapitan

🇲🇽 capitán

Etymology

The word 'captain' originated from the Old French word 'capitaine', which came from the Latin word 'capitaneus' meaning 'chief'. The term has been used for centuries to refer to a leader or person in charge of a group. In naval terms, a captain is the person in command of a ship, while in sports, the captain is the leader of a team. The word has evolved to represent authority, leadership, and responsibility.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #3,536, this word is part of upper-intermediate vocabulary. While not among the most basic terms, it appears often enough to be valuable for advanced communication.