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commissariat

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

noun

  1. any of the major governmental divisions of the U.S.S.R.: called ministry since 1946.

  2. the organized method or manner by which food, equipment, transport, etc., is delivered to armies.

  3. the department of an army charged with supplying provisions.


commissariat British  
/ ˌkɒmɪˈsɛərɪət /

noun

  1. Now called: ministry.  (in the former Soviet Union) a government department before 1946

    1. a military department in charge of food supplies, equipment, etc

    2. the offices of such a department

  2. food supplies

"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

Etymology

Origin of commissariat

1600–10; < New Latin commissāriātus, equivalent to Medieval Latin commissāri ( us ) commissary + -ātus -ate 3; commissariat ( def. 1 ) < Russian komissariát ≪ New Latin, as above

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.

He had bad news from the Military Commissariat.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 16, 2023

Josef Stalin sought to build a skyscraper on the site, much like the “Seven Sisters” erected across the city, intended to house the People’s Commissariat of Heavy Machinery.

From Economist • Oct. 25, 2017

Rumyantsev State School of Circus and Variety Arts, a Russian school that was created in 1927 by the Soviet People’s Commissariat of Education.

From New York Times • Aug. 22, 2017

The Commissariat of Enlightenment by Sheila Fitzpatrick A riveting account of the institution that implemented the cultural and educational policies of the revolution after 1917.

From The Guardian • Apr. 12, 2017

Smith arrived at Penetanguishene as a Commissariat Issuer on the 20th or 21st November, 1828.

From Toronto of Old by Scadding, Henry

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