noun
commissar
kah-muh-SAR/ˌkɑːmɪˈsɑːr/
An official who enforces political or ideological doctrine.
The commissar addresses the seated soldiers, holding a booklet of party doctrine.
Etymology
Latin commissarius named someone entrusted with a duty by a higher authority. The political sense specializes that delegated authority in a representative responsible for party indoctrination.
In context
The political commissar is the one who's got a connection with the secret police, who if the military commissar doesn't do as told, they'll come in and kill
More examples
- Soviet commissars instructed soldiers in official party doctrine.
- A commissar orders the editor to remove criticism of the party.
- The regime sends commissars to ensure teachers follow its ideology.
Forms
commissar · commissars
Similar words
- enforcer
- Enforces rules or orders, not necessarily a political doctrine.
- censor
- Suppresses objectionable material rather than enforcing an entire political doctrine.