A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines.[1]
Originally "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as opposed to an individual in that unit. In other languages, commando and kommando denote a "command", including the sense of a military or an elite special operations unit. In the militaries and governments of most countries, commandos are distinctive in that they specialize in unconventional assault on high-value targets.
In English, to distinguish between an individual commando and a commando unit, the unit is occasionally capitalized.[2]
- ^ "Commando definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary".
- ^ Dobbie, Elliott V. K. (April 1944). "The Word 'Commando'". American Speech. 19 (2): 81–90. doi:10.2307/487007. JSTOR 487007.