commissioner
UK: kəˈmɪʃənə | US: kəˈmɪʃənər
n. an official in charge of a government department or public organization
n. a member of a commission (a group of people appointed to perform a specific task)
n. (sports) the head of a professional league or governing body
commissioner = commission<authority or task> + er<agent noun suffix>
- commission: Derived from Latin commissio (a delegation or authorization), from committere (to entrust, combine), where com- (together) + mittere (to send).
- -er: A suffix denoting a person associated with an action or role (e.g., "teacher," "runner").
Etymology Origin:
The word traces back to Latin committere, reflecting the idea of "sending together" or entrusting authority. Over time, commission evolved to mean an official task or body, and -er was added to specify a person holding such a role. The term gained formal usage in English to describe officials overseeing public or organizational duties.
The police commissioner announced new safety measures for the city.
She was appointed commissioner of the environmental protection agency.
The league commissioner suspended the player for violating rules.
The commissioner oversees the fair distribution of resources.
A federal commissioner will investigate the allegations.