commissariat

[ kom-uh-sair-ee-uh t ]
/ ˌkɒm əˈsɛər i ət /

noun

any of the major governmental divisions of the U.S.S.R.: called ministry since 1946.
the organized method or manner by which food, equipment, transport, etc., is delivered to armies.
the department of an army charged with supplying provisions.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
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Origin of commissariat

1600–10; < New Latin commissāriātus, equivalent to Medieval Latin commissāri(us) commissary + -ātus -ate3; (def 1) < Russian komissariát ≪ New Latin, as above

Words nearby commissariat

commis, commiserate, commish, commissaire, commissar, commissariat, commissary, commission, commission for racial equality, commission house, commission merchant
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for commissariat

British Dictionary definitions for commissariat

commissariat
/ (ˌkɒmɪˈsɛərɪət) /

noun

(in the former Soviet Union) a government department before 1946Now called: ministry
  1. a military department in charge of food supplies, equipment, etc
  2. the offices of such a department
food supplies

Word Origin for commissariat

C17: from New Latin commissāriātus, 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