Interstate Commerce Commission

American  

noun

U.S. Government.

1. a board, consisting of seven members, that supervises and regulates all carriers, except airplanes, engaged in interstate commerce. I.C.C., ICC

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Interstate Commerce Commission ¹ Cultural  

1. A federal agency for regulating commerce that takes place in more than one state. One of its most familiar activities is regulation of trucking.

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Interstate Commerce Commission ² Cultural  

1. A federal agency that monitors the business operations of carriers transporting goods and people between states. Its jurisdiction includes railroads, ships, trucks, buses, oil pipelines, and their terminal facilities.

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The ICC was established in 1887 as the first federal agency.

Example Sentences

The Interstate Commerce Commission was created in 1887 to regulate railroad rates.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2025

It took decades of public anger to regulate the railroads through the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1887.

From New York Times • Apr. 22, 2022

That November, buses were required to post signs saying, "Seating aboard this vehicle is without regard to race, color, creed, or national origin, by order of the Interstate Commerce Commission."

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2021

The Interstate Commerce Commission folded in 1995 with 400 employees, down from 2,000 during its heyday regulating interstate business in the 1970s.

From Washington Post • Apr. 9, 2019

President McKinley, on my recommendation, appointed Governor Fifer a member of the Interstate Commerce Commission, in which position he served with credit for some years.

From Fifty Years of Public Service by Cullom, Shelby M.