commissar

noun

com·​mis·​sar ˈkä-mə-ˌsär How to pronounce commissar (audio)
1
a
: a Communist party official assigned to a military unit to teach party principles and policies and to ensure party loyalty
b
: one that attempts to control public opinion or its expression
2
: the head of a government department in the Soviet Union until 1946

Examples of commissar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the Sakha Republic, one military commissar was punched in the face. Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024 In Lai’s youth, Taiwanese politics were dominated by martial law under the one-party rule of the KMT, which ran the government, military, and society through a corps of political commissars. Nick Frisch, Foreign Affairs, 16 May 2024 The commissar at the encampment is Man, the Captain and Bon’s old friend, and the Captain’s direct superior as an undercover agent. Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 27 May 2024 In July, the Rocket Force abruptly replaced its two leaders, the commander and the political commissar, with no explanation. Nectar Gan, CNN, 31 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for commissar 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'commissar.' 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

borrowed from Russian komissar, borrowed from German Kommissar, earlier Commissar "person delegated to perform an office, commissioner" borrowed from Medieval Latin commissārius commissary

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of commissar was in 1921

Dictionary Entries Near commissar

Cite this Entry

“Commissar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commissar. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

commissar

noun
com·​mis·​sar ˈkäm-ə-ˌsär How to pronounce commissar (audio)
1
: a Communist party official who enforces loyalty in a military unit
2
: a government department head in the U.S.S.R. until 1946

More from Merriam-Webster on commissar

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