Commissary
/ˈkɒm.ɪ.sər.i/noun
An officer or official with delegated authority, or a store or department that supplies provisions.
Did you know?Its root is the Latin *committere*, “to entrust” or “to bring together,” the same ancient source behind words like *commit*, *commission*, and *committee*—so the whole family began as a story of handing power over.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mei-
“to exchange, change, or move”
Latin
Latin
committere
“to join, entrust, or confide”
Late Latin
Latin
commissarius
“one to whom a charge is entrusted; an agent or deputy”
Old French
Old French
commissaire
“a person entrusted with a duty or office”
Middle English
English
commissarie
“an officer or agent with delegated authority”
Modern English
English
commissary
“an official appointed to act for another, or a store supplying provisions”
Explore more surprising origins