captain

The word “captain” means the person in charge of a ship, aircraft, or team. In plain terms, the person who leads or is officially in charge — of a ship, plane, sports team, or a rank in the military.

“Captain” is pronounced KAP-tihn (/ˈkæp.tən/ in IPA).

Here is “captain” used in a sentence: “The captain announced that the flight would be delayed by an hour.”

Depending on how it is used, “captain” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “captain” comes from Late Latin. From Old French capitaine, from Late Latin capitaneus, "chief," ultimately from Latin caput, "head" — the same root as "capital" and "chief.".

“Captain” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Captain” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the person in charge of a ship, aircraft, or team.

On an aircraft, both are pilots, but the captain is the senior pilot in command, holding final authority for the flight; the other is the first officer or co-pilot. So every captain is a pilot, but the title marks the one who carries ultimate responsibility for the aircraft and everyone aboard.

The word covers several roles: a ship's captain who commands a vessel, an airline captain who leads the flight crew, a team captain who leads players in sport, and a captain as a rank in the military or police. In each case the captain is the person in charge.

A captain leads and takes responsibility for a group or vessel. On a ship or aircraft they command the crew, make key decisions, and answer for everyone's safety. On a team they motivate players, represent the side to officials, and set an example. The common thread is authority paired with accountability.

Examples include the captain of a cruise ship who steers it safely into port, the captain of a football team who leads the players onto the pitch, or an airline captain announcing the descent. Each is the recognised person in charge of their ship, aircraft, or team.