verb
commandeer
kah-mun-DEER/ˌkɑːmənˈdɪr/
Take control of something without permission for one's own or official use.
The emergency official commandeers the boat while its surprised owner watches.
Etymology
Kommandeeren meant commanding for military service, and commandeer initially referred to seizing something or forcing someone into that service. The military sense broadened to taking arbitrary possession for one's own use.
In context
A world where agents commandeer whatever vehicles they can find to continue the hunt.
More examples
- Soldiers commandeered local trucks to transport their supplies.
- She commandeers my office whenever she needs a quiet workspace.
- Stop commandeering the remote when everyone else is watching.
Forms
commandeer · commandeers · commandeered · commandeering
Similar words
- seize
- Emphasizes sudden or forceful taking, not necessarily subsequent use.
- requisition
- Usually involves a formal demand for official use.
- appropriate
- Emphasizes taking something for oneself, often without the owner's permission.