commissar
commissar Lexical Profile
commissar Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An official of the Communist Party, especially in the former Soviet Union or present-day China, responsible for political education, ideological indoctrination, and organization.
"The party commissar delivered a lengthy lecture on ideological loyalty to the factory workers."
A head of a government department in the Soviet Union prior to 1946, equivalent to a government minister.
"In 1918, the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs signed the diplomatic treaty on behalf of the new Soviet government."
Any official or authority figure who attempts to control public opinion or strictly enforce orthodoxy in a particular sphere (often used disapprovingly).
"Critics accused the network executives of acting like cultural commissars by censoring unconventional television scripts."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'commissar' with 'commissary', which usually refers to a military store or cafeteria, though both words share the same Latin root meaning 'to entrust'.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 20th century from Russian 'komissar', via German 'Kommissar', from Medieval Latin 'commissarius' ('person in charge'), ultimately from Latin 'committere' ('to entrust').