captain

captain — noun

1. the person picked to direct a sports team's players on the field and to speak fo

1.nounB1
Definition

the person picked to direct a sports team's players on the field and to speak for them to officials and the media

Example

Pia was named captain of the school basketball team at age fifteen.

named captain of [team] — passive construction for appointment

The referee called both captains to the centre circle before the match.

Common collocations
  • team captain
  • appoint someone captain
  • serve as captain
  • captain of the team
Synonyms
  • team leader

    less formal and more general than 'captain'; not an official role in all sports

  • skipper

    informal term often used in cricket, sailing, and some football contexts

Usage Note

Commonly used with verbs like 'name', 'choose', 'appoint', or 'elect' to describe how someone becomes captain.

Common Mistakes

The captain of the team, he spoke to the press.
The team captain, Leila, spoke to the press.
Avoid using a pronoun right after the noun phrase without naming the person.

2. the person who is in charge of operating and managing a ship, boat, or aircraft,

2.nounB2
Definition

the person who is in charge of operating and managing a ship, boat, or aircraft, and who has final responsibility for the safety of everyone on board

Example

The ship captain ordered the crew to prepare for a storm that was approaching fast.

collocation: captain ordered / commanded [action]

Captain Yamada welcomed the passengers and announced that the flight would take thirty minutes.

captain + [surname] — title usage before a name

Common collocations
  • ship captain
  • flight captain
  • captain of the ship
  • under the captain's command
Synonyms
  • commander

    more formal; used especially in military contexts for ships

  • pilot

    restricted to aircraft; does not apply to ships

Usage Note

When used before a name as a title ('Captain Chen'), it functions like a rank or courtesy title. The ship or aircraft is implied and need not be stated.

Common Mistakes

The captain of the airplane spoke to us.
The flight captain spoke to the passengers.
'Flight captain' is the standard compound; avoid 'airplane captain.'

3. an officer in the military, police, or fire service whose position sits between

3.nounB2
Definition

an officer in the military, police, or fire service whose position sits between lieutenant and major or chief in the usual hierarchy

Example

Captain Okafor served in the army for twelve years and leads a company of soldiers.

title + surname in military address

The police captain arrived at the scene and took charge of the investigation.

Common collocations
  • army captain
  • police captain
  • promoted to captain
  • Captain [Surname]
Synonyms
  • commander

    a higher naval rank, not equivalent to army/police captain

  • lieutenant

    a rank below captain in most forces; not interchangeable

Usage Note

As a military rank, 'Captain' is always capitalised when used as a title before a name (e.g. 'Captain Chen'). In the British army it is above lieutenant; in the US army, air force, and Marine Corps, it ranks above first lieutenant and below major. In police and fire departments, the rank structure varies by jurisdiction — generally above lieutenant and below chief or battalion chief.

Common Mistakes

Captain Chen is a high-ranking officer.
Captain Chen is a middle-ranking officer.
Captain is not a high rank; it sits in the middle of most military hierarchies.

captain — verb

Word family

  • captaincy
    nounC1
  • captainship
    nounC2
  • co-captain
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Captain' is the standard title for the official head of a sports team — the person chosen to lead players, talk to referees, and represent the team publicly. 'Team leader' is a broader, less formal term used in many non-sporting groups as well; it does not carry the same prestige or formal recognition. 'Skipper' is an informal alternative, used most often in cricket, football (soccer), and sailing contexts — it has a friendly, familiar tone that 'captain' lacks. 'Commander' is far more formal and generally restricted to military or naval settings; using it for a sports team would sound unnatural. For example: 'Leila was named captain of the hockey team' (official role); 'Our team leader, Ben, organised the practice schedule' (functional role); 'The skipper decided to bowl first' (cricket, informal).

captain ↗team leaderskippercommander ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • team captain
  • ship captain
  • flight captain
  • army captain
  • police captain

Phrases

  • under the captain's command
  • serve as captain
  • appoint someone captain

Prepositions

  • captain of

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

'Captain' entered English through Old French 'capitaine', which came from Latin 'capitaneus' meaning 'chief' or 'head'. This Latin word was built on 'caput', meaning 'head' — the same root that gives us 'capital', 'chapter', and 'chief'. So a captain is literally the 'head' person of a group, a ship, or a military unit. The word first appeared in English around the 14th century with military and naval meanings, and later extended to sports teams in the 19th century.