commissioner

American  

[kuh-mish-uh-ner] / kəˈmɪʃ ə nər /

noun

1. a person commissioned to act officially; member of a commission.

2. a government official or representative in charge of a department or district.

   the police commissioner; the commissioner of a colony.

3. an official chosen by an athletic association to exercise broad administrative or judicial authority.

   the baseball commissioner.

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commissioner British  

/ kəˈmɪʃənə /

noun

1. a person authorized to perform certain tasks or endowed with certain powers

2. government

   1. any of several types of civil servant

   2. an ombudsman See also Health Service Commissioner Parliamentary Commissioner

3. a member of a commission

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Other Word Forms

• commissionership noun
• subcommissioner noun
• subcommissionership noun

Etymology

Origin of commissioner

1400–50; late Middle English < Anglo-French. See commission, -er ²

Example Sentences

The NHL, meanwhile, has been keen to capitalise on the popularity of the show, with commissioner Gary Bettman saying he binge-watched all six episodes in one night.

From BBC

It is part of the Labor Department but operates independently, relying on nonpartisan staff economists who tabulate the numbers without input from the commissioner, the agency’s only political appointee.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ivory, the Fulton County commissioner, said that while county officials had complied with the warrant, they expected to challenge the administration’s actions in court.

From Salon

Ken Peterson, 78, a retired lawyer and former state commissioner of labor and industry, questioned the strategy.

From The Wall Street Journal

Two of its current commissioners were appointed by Democratic presidents.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• administrator