noun
commissar
ko-mih-SAH
noun
1
A Communist Party official, especially one assigned to a military unit to oversee political loyalty and ideology.
"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
Word Forms
commissars plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “commissar”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
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."