The novelist's debut arrived with little fanfare, but its quiet seriousness slowly drew an audience. By the end of the decade, she commanded a readership that her louder contemporaries could only envy.
As used in the text, what does the word "commanded" most nearly mean?
- A
had a view of
- B
gave orders to
- C
deserved respect from
- Dcheck_circle
had the loyalty of
Explanation
She has secured the loyalty of a large readership; "commanded" here means had the loyalty/attention of, not giving orders, having a view, or "deserved respect."