Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An official of the Communist Party in charge of political indoctrination and the enforcement of party loyalty.
  • noun The head of a commissariat in the Soviet Union until 1946.
  • noun A person who tries to control public opinion.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An official of the Communist Party, often attached to a military unit, who was responsible for political education.
  • noun In the Soviet Union, the head of a commissariat.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an official of the Communist Party who was assigned to teach party principles to a military unit

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Russian komissar, from German Kommissar, deputy, from Medieval Latin commissārius, agent; see commissary.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Russian комиссар, from German Kommissar (“commissioner”), from Latin commissarius.

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Examples

  • … A commissar is a political officer whose position is equal to that of the commander of a given military unit and has the authority to countermand the orders of the commander.

    Human Resources « POLICE INSPECTOR BLOG Inspector Gadget 2008

  • Visiting Warrior Mark Steyn drew a rapt crowd of, well, two dozen, as he addressed an Ontario government legislative committee, calling the head of the Ontario Human Rights Commission a "commissar" and predicting terrorist violence if rights commissions persist:

    Archive 2009-02-01 2009

  • But I do it on my own dime and I don't see why 'commissar' Hall and her colleagues shouldn't also do it on their own dime.

    Keep it inside, for the sake of the children. CC 2009

  • "We need to make Russia strong again," says Nikolai Panchenko, a Nashi "commissar," or leader.

    Young Russia Rises 2007

  • "We need to make Russia strong again," says Nikolai Panchenko, a Nashi "commissar," or leader.

    Russia accused of launching first massive cyberstrike against Estonia Abhay N 2007

  • She says, "commissar," which is, of course, the -- a Soviet official.

    John Maynard Keynes: Fighting for Freedom, 1937-1946 2002

  • "There's ample power in the Treasury Department and the Energy Department, etcetera to get these things done," he insisted, "and I don't think there should be a commissar, which is really what this is.

    Common Folk Using Common Sense 2009

  • General of the PLA and political commissar of General Logistics Department

    A Family Affair 2011

  • Dr. Besigye left the ruling party in 1999, after rising to a top position of political commissar.

    Ugandan Physician Offers Revolutionary Cure Will Connors 2011

  • For example, when he was vice party secretary of Fujian from 1996 to 2000, he served concurrently as vice director of the Committee on National Defense Mobilization within the Nanjing Military Region, director of the National Defense Mobilization of Fujian Province, and the first military commissar of the Fujian Artillery Reserves Corp.

    The Military Maneuvers of Xi Jinping Willy Lam 2011

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