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police commissioner

police commissioner

27 4.6
A senior officer in charge of a city's police force
  • noun
  • /pəˈlis kəˈmɪʃənər/
translation icon : comisionado de policía
  • The police commissioner has declined to comment...
  • Police Commissioner Howard Safir
  • Police Commissioner William Bratton
  • Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly

Really, I'd like to ask these police commissioners a question.

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Examples

  • The local police commissioner issued a public warning about a right-wing terrorist group.

  • I like the police commissioner, too.

  • The police commissioner and I go way back.

  • Suddenly, the mayor and police commissioner, and their lawyers, are called out of the room.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Plus, I have the police commissioner breathing down my back.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said it's unclear how long the nanny had worked for the family.

    Blog text (24)
  • Newly sworn-in Police Commissioner Anthony Batts opened the door for the driver...

    Blog text (7)
  • The police commissioner defended the rising tide of crime as a statistical aberration tied to growing unemployment and the humidity of...

  • But first, after reviewing the city's soaring crime rates with the police commissioner, Councilman Dan Gregor took to the steps of City Hall, reaffirming the city's commitment to fight against the rising crime organization calling themselves the Foot Clan.

  • The local police commissioner issued a public warning about a right-wing terrorist group.

Synonyms

chief
vspolice commissioner
1.9

A person who leads a group or community

applies only to policing with formal oversight and disciplinary responsibilities
commissioner
vspolice commissioner
  • Formal
572 5.1

A person who manages a government department or public service

is specific to policing and focuses on duties and discipline rather than broad management
superintendent
vspolice commissioner
166 6.0

A person who manages an organization or its department, often in police and schools

is the top appointed policing official focusing on forcewide duties and discipline
police chief
vspolice commissioner
93 3.2

An officer who is in charge of a police department

emphasizes oversight of duties and discipline rather than routine operations
Chief Constable
vspolice commissioner
  • UK
1 7.0

A senior police officer who leads the police in a county, especially in the United Kingdom

focuses more on oversight and discipline than daily operations

How Senior

police commissioner
27 4.6
police chief
93 3.2
police captain
  • US
10 3.3
police constable
  • UK
1 2.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

police + commissioner

The meaning is directly and predictably built from 'police' (the law-enforcement organization) modifying 'commissioner' (an official in charge), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer this is the official who oversees the police. This noun–noun composition (organization + leader) is a common, cross-linguistic pattern, making the expression transparently interpretable.

Etymology

Police commissioner comes from the idea of a commissioner, someone 'commissioned' by city leaders with a formal job to lead the police. That's why it means the top official in charge of a police force.