commissioner

noun

com·​mis·​sion·​er kə-ˈmi-sh(ə-)nər 

: a person with a commission: such as

a

: a member of a commission

b

: the representative of the governmental authority in a district, province, or other unit often having both judicial and administrative powers

c

: the officer in charge of a department or bureau of the public service

d

: the administrative head of a professional sport

commissionership

kə-ˈmi-sh(ə-)nər-ˌship 

noun

Examples of commissioner in a Sentence

The baseball commissioner decided to suspend the players for 10 games.

Recent Examples on the Web

Through an attorney, Vos on Thursday argued the committee broke state law by collecting 347 signatures outside of the time period allowed and therefore, the commissioners should not deem those names as valid. —Molly Beck, Journal Sentinel, 27 June 2024

In 2022, two commissioners from rural Cochise County in Arizona refused to certify midterm election results. —Colby Itkowitz, Washington Post, 26 June 2024

Former Huskies have been shaking the commissioner’s hand as lottery picks for 30 years now, beginning with Donyell Marshall in 1994. —Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2024

Cut the fat salaries of management and commissioners. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "person empowered to carry out defined duties," borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin commissiōnārius, from commissiōn-, commissiō commission entry 1 + Latin -ārius -ary entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing commissioner

• high commissioner
• resident commissioner

Kids Definition

commissioner

noun

com·​mis·​sion·​er kə-ˈmish-(ə-)nər 

1

: a member of a commission

2

: an official in charge of a government department

Police Commissioner

Legal Definition

commissioner

noun

com·​mis·​sion·​er

: a person with a commission: as

a

: a member of a commission

b

often capitalized : the officer in charge of a government agency

a police commissioner