Captain
/ˈkæptən/
nounBeginnerVery CommonGeneral
Idiom
Meaning
Questions
Definitions
1
The person in command of a ship, aircraft, or team.
/ˈkæptən/
nounneutralBeginner
General
Leader of a team or vessel
The captain of the ship gave orders to the crew.
💡 Simply: The boss or leader.
More Examples
2
She's the captain of the soccer team.
How It's Used
Military
"The captain led his troops into battle."
Maritime
"The captain steered the ship through the storm."
Sports
"The team captain inspired his teammates."
Idioms & expressions
Captain of Industry
A powerful and influential business leader.
"He's considered a captain of industry in the tech world."
From Middle English *capitaine, from Old French *capitaine, from Latin *capitaneus, from caput "head".
Historically, the term 'captain' was primarily associated with seafaring, but its usage has expanded to encompass various leadership roles.
Memory tip
Think of a ship's captain heading the vessel.
Practice
Base: captain
captincaptian
Usage
60%Spoken
40%Written