noun
commissar
ko-mih-SAH
Commissar (noun) means a Communist Party official, especially one assigned to a military unit to oversee political loyalty and ideology. Example: “The commissar reported any signs of dissent among the troops directly to Moscow.”
noun
1
A Communist Party official, especially one assigned to a military unit to oversee political loyalty and ideology.
"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."
— Brad Lendon, China replaces elite nuclear leadership in surprise military shake-up (2023)
"The commissar reported any signs of dissent among the troops directly to Moscow."
How to use commissar
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA political official, historically associated with Soviet-era communist governments, responsible for enforcing party doctrine.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
political commissar
the people's commissar
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like commissar.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- commissars
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ reported any signs of dissent among the troops directly to Moscow.
Etymology
Borrowed from Russian komissár, itself from German Kommissar ("commissioner") — a doublet of "commissary."
Synonyms
View more →
political commissar
Frequently asked questions
What does “commissar” mean?
The word “commissar” means a Communist Party official, especially one assigned to a military unit to oversee political loyalty and ideology. In plain terms, a political official, historically associated with Soviet-era communist governments, responsible for enforcing party doctrine.
How do you pronounce “commissar”?
“Commissar” is pronounced ko-mih-SAH (/ˈkɑ.məˌsɑɹ/ in IPA).
How do you use “commissar” in a sentence?
Here is “commissar” used in a sentence: “The commissar reported any signs of dissent among the troops directly to Moscow.”
What part of speech is “commissar”?
“Commissar” is a noun.
Where does the word “commissar” come from?
The word “commissar” comes from German. Borrowed from Russian komissár, itself from German Kommissar ("commissioner") — a doublet of "commissary.".
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include commissar:
