COMMANDER

commander, in the british navy, the title of the second grade of captains. he commands a small vessel, or is second in command of a large one. a staff commander is entrusted with the navigation of a large ship, and ranks above a navigating lieutenant. since 1838 the officer next in rank to a captain in the u.s. navy has been called commander. commandery (through the fr. _commanderie_, from med. lat. _commendaria_, a trust or charge), a division of the landed property in europe of the knights hospitallers (see st john of jerusalem). the property of the order was divided into "priorates," subdivided into "bailiwicks," which in turn were divided into "commanderies"; these were placed in charge of a "commendator" or commander. the word is also applied to the emoluments granted to a commander of a military order of knights.