Library / Terminal & command line / Command
No. 100·noun·also called terminal command, arguments, args

Command

One typed instruction: a program name, followed by what you want it to act on.

SPECIMEN · DIAGRAM · ANATOMY
git
commit1
-m
"Fix login"
1Subcommand
Definition

What it is

A command is a single line you type and run. It starts with the program's name, then usually some arguments: the things you want it to work on. In git commit -m "Fix login", git is the program, commit is what to do, and the rest is detail.

You can only run one command at a time per terminal tab, and a long-running one (like a dev server) keeps the tab busy until you stop it with Ctrl + C.

When an agent says "run this," copy the whole line exactly. A missing quote or space changes the meaning.

Say it like a builder

How to ask for it

Vague

“How do I get it to work?”

Precise

“Give me the exact commands to run, in order, to install dependencies and start the app locally. One command per line, and tell me what I should see after each.”

Why it works

"Exact commands, in order, with expected output" gets a checklist you can follow and verify, not a paragraph of advice.

In the wild

You've seen this in

  • Pnpm install in a project's README
  • DCopy buttons next to code snippets in docs
  • C"Run command" approvals in coding agents
Usage note

Often confused with

FlagA flag is an optional modifier inside a command, like --force; the command is the whole line.PromptA prompt is natural language for an AI; a command is exact syntax for a program and has no room for interpretation.