kommando

Kommando is a German noun meaning a command, a detachment formed to carry out a task, or the act of commanding. In military, police, and organizational contexts, a Kommando denotes a unit assigned to a specific mission, or the leadership responsible for issuing orders. The term can refer to the unit itself, as in das Kommando der Spezialeinheiten, or to the act of commanding. In compounds, it is common, with phrases such as Einsatzkommando (a task-forces unit deployed for a particular operation) or Kommandoeinsatz.

The word is neuter: das Kommando; plural Kommandos. It is borrowed from Romance-language sources, via French commande or Italian comando, ultimately from a root related to command or order.

In modern usage, Kommando appears in military and law-enforcement contexts to name units, such as Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK), the German army's special forces. It can also refer more generally to a group charged with a mission, or to the act of directing or commanding.

In English, the German term is cognate with commando; English usage tends to refer to elite assault units, while German usage covers a broader range of detachment or command situations.