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
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.
There’s also been a carousel of leadership changes before Frank Bisignano, commissioner of the Social Security Administration, was tapped as CEO for the IRS.
From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026
Piotr Serafin, the EU's current budget commissioner, was Tusk's chief of staff when Tusk was president of the European Commission between 2014 and 2019.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
Kyle Diamantas, a deputy within the agency, is expected to step in as acting commissioner, according to several news outlets.
From Salon • May 13, 2026
“As you know we spent millions of dollars every year on body-worn cameras, but their effectiveness depends on” officers adhering to policies, commissioner Jeff Skobin said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
The first Major League commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, would be elected in January 1921.
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.
