commissionaire

noun

com·​mis·​sion·​aire kə-ˌmi-shə-ˈner How to pronounce commissionaire (audio)
chiefly British
: a uniformed attendant

Word History

Etymology

earlier, "person charged with or seeking a commission (as a messenger or porter)," borrowed from French, going back to Middle French commissionere commissioner

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of commissionaire was in 1895

Dictionary Entries Near commissionaire

Cite this Entry

“Commissionaire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commissionaire. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

commissionaire

noun
com·​mis·​sion·​aire kə-ˌmish-ə-ˈna(ə)r How to pronounce commissionaire (audio)
-ˈne(ə)r
chiefly British
: a uniformed attendant
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!