Word
Definitions
01government or police official
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Formal
n. a high-ranking official who is in charge of a government department or a police force.
n. a senior official appointed to lead a government agency or a public service department, such as a police or fire service.
“The police commissioner promised to put more officers on the streets to improve safety.”
“The newly appointed commissioner for public health addressed the assembly regarding the proposed changes to the vaccination schedule.”
Usage
Often used as a title before a surname, such as Commissioner Gordon.
Synonyms
02sports league head
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Sports American English
n. the person in charge of a professional sports league.
n. the highest-ranking executive official of a professional sports league, responsible for regulation and administration.
“The baseball commissioner announced new rules to make the games shorter.”
“The league commissioner faced intense scrutiny from the media following his decision to suspend the star player for three games.”
03European Union official
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. one of the senior officials who helps lead the European Union.
n. a member of the European Commission, responsible for a specific policy area within the European Union.
“The European Commissioner for Trade is visiting Washington to discuss new tariffs.”
“Each member state nominates a commissioner to the executive body, though they are expected to represent the interests of the Union as a whole.”
Synonyms
04member of a commission
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. a person who is part of a special group (a commission) chosen to do a specific job.
n. a person who has been formally charged with a specific duty or is a member of a temporary investigative or administrative commission.
Español:comisionado
“She was appointed as a commissioner to investigate the cause of the building collapse.”
“The commissioners spent six months gathering evidence before publishing their final report on the environmental impact of the new dam.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “commissioner” in context.
Verb
01. appoint a commissioner
“The government decided to appoint a special commissioner to investigate the allegations of corruption.”
verb + noun
02. report to the commissioner
“All regional directors must report directly to the commissioner regarding their quarterly progress.”
verb + prep + noun
Adjective
03. acting commissioner
“While the search for a permanent replacement continues, she will serve as the acting commissioner.”
adj + noun
04. high commissioner
“The British High Commissioner met with local leaders to discuss the new trade agreement.”
adj + noun
Noun
05. commissioner for human rights
“The European Commissioner for Human Rights issued a statement condemning the treatment of refugees.”
noun + prep + noun
06. office of the commissioner
“All formal complaints should be submitted in writing to the Office of the Commissioner.”
noun + of + noun
07. police commissioner
“The police commissioner held a press conference to address the recent rise in urban crime.”
noun + noun
Preposition
08. before the commissioner
“The witness was summoned to testify before the commissioner during the public inquiry.”
prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“Commissioner General Kitrat Phanphet of the Royal Thai police has also ordered tighter oversight of government-issued police firearms.” “It is being investigated by parliament's standards commissioner because it was not registered by the Reform leader.” “NHSBT said it was "deeply sorry" and has reported the data breach to the Information Commissioner.” Etymology
From Middle English commissioner, from Anglo-Norman commissionaire, from Medieval Latin commissiōnārius. Doublet of commissionaire. See commission.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/commissioner
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0