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

Despite the back and forth, Winker’s allegations left commissioners — and even Fifield’s vice president of development, Sarina Sorrentino — rattled. — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026

Orange County commissioners accepted — with reservations and some argument — a citizen panel’s recommendations for how to spend future tourist-tax windfalls, advice that left out a convention center expansion and a billion-dollar baseball stadium. — Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2026

Daniel said commissioners should revisit feedback that was collected during the last search for chief in 2022 rather than simply starting over, while also seeking new input from residents and KCPD officers. — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026

And there hasn’t been a formal stoppage that’s cost the sport games in more than 30 years, since the 1994-95 strike, which is something commissioner Rob Manfred himself touts. — Evan Drellich, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

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