commissioner
Americannoun
-
a person commissioned to act officially; member of a commission.
-
a government official or representative in charge of a department or district.
the police commissioner; the commissioner of a colony.
-
an official chosen by an athletic association to exercise broad administrative or judicial authority.
the baseball commissioner.
noun
-
a person authorized to perform certain tasks or endowed with certain powers
-
government
-
any of several types of civil servant
-
an ombudsman See also Health Service Commissioner Parliamentary Commissioner
-
-
a member of a commission
Other Word Forms
Derived 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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Articles of Confederation (1777)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Dawes Act
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
COMMISSIONER: Will I be able to wear the same robe?
From Signora Fantastici by Morlock, Frank J.
Then I ordered Schmuttermaier to raid the place … COMMISSIONER.
From Moral by Recht, Charles
COMMISSIONER: It's true wha-what she says, The Signora.
From Signora Fantastici by Morlock, Frank J.
Saturday at noon we obtained positive evidence, COMMISSIONER.
From Moral by Recht, Charles
COMMISSIONER: No. But it appeared to me the public was sh-shocked.
From Signora Fantastici by Morlock, Frank J.
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.
