What does "commissary" mean?
A store primarily serving persons in an institution, most often soldiers or prisoners.
Commissary
/ˈkɒm.ɪ.s(ə)ɹi/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A store primarily serving persons in an institution, most often soldiers or prisoners.
- Grammar: commissary is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abundance, accumulation, agent, amassment.
- Useful contrasts: advocate, counsel, governing authority.
- Usage evidence: The base [Fort Meade] has its own post offices, schools, police, and fire departments. Area children, military brats and civilians alike, would flock to the base daily to take golf, tennis, and swimming lessons. Though we lived off base, my mother still used its commissary as our grocery store, to stock up on items in bulk.
How to use "commissary"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "commissary" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "commissary" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "commissary" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "commissary" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "commissary" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abundance" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "commissary", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A store primarily serving persons in an institution, most often soldiers or prisoners.
"The base [Fort Meade] has its own post offices, schools, police, and fire departments. Area children, military brats and civilians alike, would flock to the base daily to take golf, tennis, and swimming lessons. Though we lived off base, my mother still used its commissary as our grocery store, to stock up on items in bulk."
- 2 a retail store that sells equipment and provisions (usually to military personnel) wordnet
- 3 An account which a prisoner uses to buy provisions, or the balance of that account.
"“We tried to provide for you while you were in there. We may not have put as much on your commissary as your in-laws, but what we gave was more to us.”"
- 4 a snack bar in a film studio wordnet
- 5 A cafeteria at a television or movie studio.
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 One to whom is committed some charge, duty, or office, by a superior power; a commissioner.
"Great Deſtiny the Commiſſary of God;"
- 7 An officer of the bishop, who exercises ecclesiastical jurisdiction in parts of the diocese at a distance from the residence of the bishop.
"It has been already hinted , that a Commissary, in Latin stiled Commisarius, is a Title of Ecclefiaftical Jurisdiction"
- 8 An officer who supplies provisions to an army.
- 9 The judge in a commissary court.
- 10 A higher-ranking police officer.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The base [Fort Meade] has its own post offices, schools, police, and fire departments. Area children, military brats and civilians alike, would flock to the base daily to take golf, tennis, and swimming lessons. Though we lived off base, my mother still used its commissary as our grocery store, to stock up on items in bulk."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "commissary"?
Common synonyms include: abundance, accumulation, agent, amassment, backlog, base store.
How do you use "commissary" in a sentence?
The base [Fort Meade] has its own post offices, schools, police, and fire departments. Area children, military brats and civilians alike, would flock to the base daily to take golf, tennis, and swimming lessons. Though we lived off base, my mother still used its commissary as our grocery store, to stock up on items in bulk.
How do you pronounce "commissary"?
Pronounced /ˈkɒm.ɪ.s(ə)ɹi/.
Etymology
From Late Latin commissarius, from commissus, past participle of committō (“to commit, entrust to”). Doublet of commissar.