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

When a Democratic Congress responded by trying to pass a bill codifying it into law, Reagan vetoed the bill and his deregulation-fixated (but also indecency-patrolling) FCC commissioner, Mark Fowler led the commission to abolish the Fairness Doctrine. —Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2025

Jones was the patriarch of the most prominent family in Loving County and the most powerful figure there, serving as a county commissioner before becoming judge in 2007. —Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025

The Little Rock housing authority's board of commissioners on Thursday voted to recommend the reappointment of Karen Buchanan, who joined the board in 2023 and currently serves as its vice chair. —Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2025

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmettiopined last year that the statute does not mean commissioners must be certified to teach in Tennessee schools. —Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 26 Sep. 2025

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

Rhymes for commissioner

• conditioner
• parishioner
• petitioner
• positioner
• practitioner
• missioner

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