commissioner
Americannoun
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a person commissioned to act officially; member of a commission.
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a government official or representative in charge of a department or district.
the police commissioner; the commissioner of a colony.
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an official chosen by an athletic association to exercise broad administrative or judicial authority.
the baseball commissioner.
noun
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a person authorized to perform certain tasks or endowed with certain powers
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government
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any of several types of civil servant
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an ombudsman See also Health Service Commissioner Parliamentary Commissioner
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a member of a commission
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of commissioner
1400–50; late Middle English < Anglo-French. See commission, -er 2
Explanation
The noun commissioner refers to someone in charge of a formal group or organization, such as a police commissioner or a baseball commissioner. As you might guess, commissioner is related to commission, which describes a group that carries out a particular function. Commissioner can describe an official who directs or regulates a commission, or it can be that person's title. For example, if Theodore Young is the housing commissioner, in formal situations you’d refer to him as Commissioner Young.
Vocabulary lists containing commissioner
Things Fall Apart
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The Articles of Confederation (1777)
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The Dawes Act
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Commissioner John Galo interjected, citing concerns he had about the recurring fees Monarch Tracking could charge, which could cost the county tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, in his estimate.
From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026
The family later condemned the disorder, with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones saying they had told her they did not support protests or unrest.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
Hood County Commissioner Dave Eagle said there are “too many unanswered questions” about data centers, and they’re being asked to greenlight plans with incomplete information about their impact on the community.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
Former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, ousted last month, had promised lawmakers he would launch a mifepristone study but told others in the administration that he needed new data systems for the effort.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
Peters was a much more even-tempered man than Commissioner Curtis.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
