noun

commissar

commissar, political officer

The commissar gave a speech to the soldiers.

The commissar gave a speech to the soldiers.

`a/the commissar` a political officer in a communist country. The commissar was responsible for political education.

Synonyms: political officer, official.

From Russian 'komissár', from French 'commissaire', from Medieval Latin 'commissarius', meaning 'one entrusted with a commission'. From 'com-' (with) + 'mittere' (to send).

Imagine a 'commissioned' officer whose main role is political, particularly in the former Soviet Union. The root 'miss' is like in 'mission'.

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.