commissary
commissary — noun
- commissarysingular
- commissariesplural
1. A person who is officially appointed by a government or organization to be respo
A person who is officially appointed by a government or organization to be responsible for a particular task, department, or area of activity.
Faisal worked as a commissary for the regional government, overseeing disaster relief in three provinces.
commissary + for [task/area]
A special commissary was appointed to investigate the hospital's financial records.
passive construction: was appointed
The UN commissary arrived in the refugee camp to assess the health conditions there.
Liang was sent to the border as a young commissary to report on trade violations.
- commissioner
Standard modern title for someone in charge of a department; more common in everyday usage
- delegate
Emphasizes representing a higher authority rather than direct responsibility
- envoy
Specifically a diplomatic representative sent on a mission
文法句型
commissary + for [task/area]
用法筆記
Frequently passive in appointment contexts — 'was appointed commissary.' This sense is historical in many countries, but still used in some international organizations and military administrations.
常見錯誤
2. A store located on a military base or inside a prison where food, household good
A store located on a military base or inside a prison where food, household goods, and other daily necessities are sold, often at reduced prices.
João bought diapers and cereal at the army commissary before returning to the barracks.
at the [location] + commissary
The prison commissary sells snacks, soap, and writing paper to inmates once a week.
prison commissary + sells [goods]
Nikos saved money by shopping at the base commissary instead of the town supermarket.
The military commissary on the base offers discounted prices on groceries for service members.
- canteen
British English term for a shop in a military base or prison
- PX (post exchange)
Specific US Army term for a larger retail store on a base, often selling more than groceries
文法句型
[location] + commissary
at the commissary
用法筆記
In the US, 'commissary' most often refers to the supermarket-style store on an army, navy, or air force base. Prison commissaries (also called 'canteen' in British English) typically sell a more limited selection of items.
常見錯誤
3. A cafeteria or small restaurant inside a large workplace, especially a film or t
A cafeteria or small restaurant inside a large workplace, especially a film or television studio, where employees can buy meals and snacks.
Indra grabbed a sandwich from the studio commissary between takes.
between takes — film industry context
The film studio's commissary serves breakfast from 6 AM for the early crew.
Actors and technicians often discuss scripts together over coffee in the commissary.
Shirin works as a cashier at the studio commissary, serving lunch to hundreds of employees.
文法句型
studio commissary
at the commissary
用法筆記
This sense is very strongly associated with Hollywood film studios in American English. In other workplaces, 'cafeteria' or 'canteen' is far more common.