commissar

[ kom-uh-sahr, kom-uh-sahr ]

/ ˈkɒm əˌsɑr, ˌkɒm əˈsɑr /

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noun

the head of any of the major governmental divisions of the U.S.S.R.: called minister since 1946.

an official in any communist government whose duties include political indoctrination, detection of political deviation, etc.

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Origin of commissar

1915–20; <Russian komissár<German Kommissar<Medieval Latin commissāriuscommissary

Words nearby commissar

commis, commiserate, commiseration, commish, commissaire, commissar, commissariat, commissary, commission, commissionaire, commissioned officer

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use commissar in a sentence

It took a while, but Republicans have started to throw Commissar Norquist under the bus.
Fiscal Cliff, Day 21: You Call That a Compromise?|Daniel Gross|November 27, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Still from Biisk in the Altai country had just come a very important commissar.
Beasts, Men and Gods|Ferdinand Ossendowski
The commissar began to protest heatedly, but Josip Pekic shook his head and tried to firm his less than dominating voice.
Expediter|Dallas McCord Reynolds
One Commissar was appointed by agreement between the Government and the Soviet.
The Russian Turmoil|Anton Ivanovich Denikin

That Commissar, according to the Commanding Officers, is undoubtedly useful.
The Russian Turmoil|Anton Ivanovich Denikin
When the latter passed a vote of censure upon the activities of a Commissar, he could practically do nothing more.
The Russian Turmoil|Anton Ivanovich Denikin

British Dictionary definitions for commissar

commissar

/ (ˈkɒmɪˌsɑː, ˌkɒmɪˈsɑː) /

noun (in the former Soviet Union)

Also called: political commissar an official of the Communist Party responsible for political education, esp in a military unit

Also called: People's Commissar (before 1946) the head of a government departmentNow called: minister

Word Origin for commissar

C20: from Russian kommissar, from German, from Medieval Latin commissārius commissary

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for commissar

commissar

[ (kom-uh-sahr) ]

In various communist systems of government, an official assigned to a group to ensure the group's conformity to Communist party doctrine. The heads of government departments in the former Soviet Union were called commissars.