commissioner

noun

com·​mis·​sion·​er kə-ˈmi-sh(ə-)nər How to pronounce commissioner (audio)
: 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 noun

Example Sentences

The baseball commissioner decided to suspend the players for 10 games.
Recent Examples on the Web Taylor Caswell, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs, said state officials are moving aggressively to identify needs and meet them. Steven Porter, BostonGlobe.com, 31 May 2023 Carrington in 2015 unsuccessfully championed a move to remove the framed portraits of former commissioners convicted of crimes from the gallery outside the county commission chambers. Joseph D. Bryant, al, 27 May 2023 Two weeks ago, Golfweek reported that Raytheon was on track to become the Nelson’s new sponsor, but that PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan canceled the deal at the 11th hour because Raytheon sells missiles to Saudi Arabia — the financial backer of LIV Golf. Brad Townsend, Dallas News, 26 May 2023 Javier Cazares, whose daughter, Jackie, was killed in the shooting, failed to win a county commissioner’s seat as a write-in candidate. Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 May 2023 The Democrats’ political mandate grew after the 2022 elections expanded their control over the commissioner’s court to a 4–1 majority. Sam Russek, The New Republic, 17 May 2023 Grant was in custody for narcotics violations, theft and firearm charges, the deputy commissioner said. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 9 May 2023 Gloria didn't comment on the SUV gift at the time, though LeBron was cleared by the Ohio High School Athletic Association commissioner after a two-week investigation. Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 4 May 2023 Then Moshe Karadi, a former Israeli police commissioner, showed up. Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 3 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'commissioner.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of commissioner was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near commissioner

Cite this Entry

“Commissioner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commissioner. Accessed 4 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

commissioner

noun
com·​mis·​sion·​er kə-ˈmish-(ə-)nər How to pronounce commissioner (audio)
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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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