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.
In Tarrant County, the top spot on the Commissioners Court is on the ballot as are commissioners for precincts in northwest and southern Tarrant County. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026 In Seminole County, commissioners budgeted $250,000 this year to support shelter nights at Rescue Outreach Mission. — Chris Ham, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026 Castro is running for her second term as commissioner for the Group IV seat. — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026 Over the past month, college football commissioners have been dissecting what the financial terms would look like once ESPN presented its final offer for the next iteration of the postseason tournament to crown a national champion. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 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

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