commissioner

noun

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

Examples of commissioner in a Sentence

The baseball commissioner decided to suspend the players for 10 games.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Trump is known for his hyperbole, but even those who disagree with the decision on the president's ability to fire commissioners say this is a huge concentration of power in the hands of the president. — Tamara Keith, NPR, 1 July 2026 Williams’ decision to leave the position was a big surprise to the mayor, commissioners and residents, though her departure followed months of controversy and scrutiny. — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026 How the office will change All of the state superintendent’s authority will transfer to the education commissioner, who will be named by the governor and then approved by the state Senate. — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 Conference commissioners, particularly those in the power conferences, have certainly become more influential in the last 20 years. — Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for commissioner

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

Phrases Containing commissioner

Rhymes for commissioner

See All Rhymes for commissioner

Browse Nearby Words

commissioned officer
commissioner
commissioner-general
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Commissioner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commissioner. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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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

More from Merriam-Webster on commissioner

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for commissioner

Nglish: Translation of commissioner for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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