[com.mis.sar] n [Russ komissar, fr. G Kommissar, fr. ML commissarius] (1918) 1 a: a Communist party official assigned to a military unit to teach party principles and policies and to ensure party loyalty b: one that attempts to control public opinion or its expression
2: the head of a government department in the U.S.S.R. until 1946 -- com.mis.sar.i.al adj