commissary

American  

[kom-uh-ser-ee] / ˈkɒm əˌsɛr i /

noun

plural

commissaries

1. a store that sells food and supplies to the personnel or workers in a military post, mining camp, lumber camp, or the like.

2. a dining room or cafeteria, especially one in a motion-picture studio.

3. a person to whom some responsibility or role is delegated by a superior power; a deputy.

4. (in France) a police official, usually just below the police chief in rank.

5. commissar.

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commissary British  

/ ˈkɒmɪsərɪ, ˌkɒmɪˈsɛərɪəl /

noun

1. a shop supplying food or equipment, as in a military camp

2. army an officer responsible for supplies and food

3. a snack bar or restaurant in a film studio

4. a representative or deputy, esp an official representative of a bishop

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Other Word Forms

• commissarial adjective
• commissaryship noun
• subcommissarial adjective
• subcommissary noun

Etymology

Origin of commissary

1350–1400; Middle English commissarie (< Anglo-French ) < Medieval Latin commissārius, equivalent to Latin commiss ( us ) (past participle of committere to commit ) + -ārius -ary

Explanation

A commissary is a food and supply store for employees. On military bases, soldiers and their families shop in a commissary. The original commissaries were the military ones, from an earlier meaning of the word, "military official in charge of food supplies and transport." Today, many workplaces have commissaries where employees can buy prepared food, provisions, and sometimes equipment. Some factory laborers, miners, incarcerated people, and office workers shop at commissaries. And since Hollywood movie studios first opened in the early 20th century, they operated cafeterias on their lots, known as commissaries, for their employees.

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, she’s tormented by the knowledge that Hadley was only 20 or so paces from the safety of the Mystic commissary, if only she’d left her cabin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

The state-of-the-art complex has five sound stages, offices and other proper movie studio features such as a mill, commissary and base camp.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2026

Their extra room became the commissary, to use an old Hollywood term.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025

In the commissary are seven food stations with a variety of cuisines including a sushi bar.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2025

I’d heard that there was a British commissary in White Plains, which was about twenty-five miles southwest across the New York State line.

From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier