Dictionary

commissar en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈkɑ.məˌsɑɹ/ (US)
• /ˌkɒmɪˈsɑː/ (UK)

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian комисса́р (komissár), from German Kommissar (“commissioner”), from Latin commissarius, from commissus, past participle of committō (“to commit, entrust to”). Doublet of commissary.

Meanings

1. (historical) An official of the Communist Party, often attached to a military unit, who was responsible for political education.
   • On Monday, state media named Wang Houbin as commander of the Rocket Force and Xu Xisheng as the political commissar of the force in a report highlighting their promotion to the rank of general by Chinese leader Xi Jinping. 2023 August 2, Brad Lendon, Simone McCarthy and Wayne Chang, “China replaces elite nuclear leadership in surprise military shake-up”, in CNN:
2. (historical, qualifier:early Soviet Union) The head of a commissariat.
3. (colloquial, humorous, often) A political functionary whose job is to push the party or government line.
   • There is a dangerous censoriousness pulsing through American society. In small towns and big cities alike, would-be commissars are fighting, in the name of a distinct minority of Americans, to stifle open discussion and impose their views on the community at large. Dissenters, when they speak out, are hounded, ostracized and sometimes even forced from their jobs. 2022 February 18, Jamelle Bouie, “Opinion: You Just Can’t Tell the Truth About America Anymore”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 02 May 2023:

Forms

Deriveds

political commissar · commissarial · commissarship · commissariat

Translations (57)

sk komisár ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · sl komisar ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · hu komisszár ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · uz komissar ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · ro comisar ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · ka კომისარი ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · ko 인민 위원 ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · cmn 政委 ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · ko 위원 ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · da kommissær ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · hy կոմիսար ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · cmn 委員 /委员 ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · az komissar ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · sh комѐса̄р ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · be каміса́р ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · crh komissar ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · sh komèsār ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · fr commissaire ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · ky комиссар ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · tg комиссар ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · cs komisařka ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · ja 委員 ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · fa-ira کُمیسار ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · pl komisarz ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · ru комисса́р ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · lt komisaras ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · de Kommissar ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · be каміса́рка ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · mn комиссар ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · ja コミッサール ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · cs komisař ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · bg комиса́р ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · yue 政委 ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · uk коміса́р ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · uk коміса́рка ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · it commissaria ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · et komissar ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · nb kommissær ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · ug ژېڭۋېي ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · mk комеса́р ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · hu kormánybiztos ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · tk komissar ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · tt комиссар ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · lv komisārs ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · fi komissaari ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · id komisar ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · ko 코미사르 ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · ug كومىسسار ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · mr कॉमिसार ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · id komisaris ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · hu komisszárius ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · it commissario ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · de Kommissarin ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · hu népbiztos ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · sv kommissarie ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · tr komiser ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat) · kk комиссар ((Soviet Union) the head of a commissariat)