commission

[ kuh-mish-uh n ]

/ kəˈmɪʃ ən /

||

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noun

the act of committing or entrusting a person, group, etc., with supervisory power or authority.

an authoritative order, charge, or direction.

authority granted for a particular action or function.

a document granting such authority.

a document conferring authority issued by the president of the U.S. to officers in the Army, Navy, and other military services, and by state governments to justices of the peace and others.

the power thus granted.

the position or rank of an officer in any of the armed forces.

a group of persons authoritatively charged with particular functions: a parks commission.

the condition of being placed under special authoritative responsibility or charge.

a task or matter committed to one's charge; official assignment: The architect received a commission to design an office building.

the act of committing or perpetrating a crime, error, etc.: The commission of a misdemeanor is punishable by law.

something that is committed: He was held accountable for his evil commissions.

authority to act as agent for another or others in commercial transactions.

a sum or percentage of what has been paid that is allowed to agents, sales representatives, etc., for their services: In addition to her salary, she will get a 20 percent commission for each sale she makes.

verb (used with object)

to give a commission to: to commission a new graduate of a military academy with the rank of lieutenant.

to authorize; send on a mission: I've been commissioned by my friend overseas to find him a cheap apartment in New York.

to give the order that places a warship, military command, etc., in a state of complete readiness for active duty.

to give a commission or order for: The owners commissioned a painting for the building's lobby.

Nearby words

commish, commissaire, commissar, commissariat, commissary, commission, commission for racial equality, commission house, commission merchant, commission plan, commissionaire

Idioms

in commission,

in service.
in operating order: A great deal of work will be necessary to put this car in commission again.
Also into commission.Navy. (of a ship) manned and in condition for or ordered to active service.

on commission, paid entirely or partially with commissions from sales one has made or for work one has done: The salespeople who are on commission earn 6 percent of the total amount they sell.

out of commission,

not in service: Telephone lines were out of commission for several days after the storm.
not in operating order: Sorry, but I can't bake cupcakes for you while the stove is out of commission.

Origin of commission

1300–50; Middle English (< Anglo-French) < Latin commissiōn- (stem of commissiō) a committing. See com-, mission, commit

Related forms

com·mis·sion·a·ble, adjectivecom·mis·sion·al, adjectivecom·mis·sive, adjectivecom·mis·sive·ly, adverb

in·ter·com·mis·sion, nounre·com·mis·sion, noun, verb (used with object)sub·com·mis·sion, nounun·com·mis·sioned, adjective

Can be confused

commission omission

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for commission

“The Commission did not instruct Mr. Wright to approve inaccurate wellbore completion reports,” according to the letter.
Two Texas Regulators Tried to Enforce the Rules. They Were Fired.|David Hasemyer, InsideClimate News|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Teague and two other commission inspectors would now handle the job, Wright was told.
Two Texas Regulators Tried to Enforce the Rules. They Were Fired.|David Hasemyer, InsideClimate News|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He worked in the industry for a while, then took a job as a prison guard before being hired by the commission in January 2012.
Two Texas Regulators Tried to Enforce the Rules. They Were Fired.|David Hasemyer, InsideClimate News|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Our lawyer, Kia Kamran, declined his commission because he knew how much the tour was costing us.
How Much Money Does a Band Really Make on Tour?|Jack Conte|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Our awesome booking agency, High Road Touring, takes a commission for booking the tour.
How Much Money Does a Band Really Make on Tour?|Jack Conte|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Fox was named first in the commission; but it was agreed that Gardiner should be the real head of the embassy.
History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, Volume V|J. H. Merle d'Aubigné
The commission was sent for, and Riel tried to intercept the messenger, but failed to do so.
The Remarkable History of the Hudson's Bay Company|George Bryce
Surely the honorable member held a commission in the Clare Fencibles.
One Of Them|Charles James Lever
The document heretofore marked for identification as Commission Exhibit No. 1021, was received in evidence.
Warren Commission (5 of 26): Hearings Vol. V (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
He then specified the salary and commission to be paid, and engaged Mr. Feldman to draw the deed for the tenement house.
Potash & Perlmutter|Montague Glass

British Dictionary definitions for commission

commission

/ (kəˈmɪʃən) /

noun

a duty or task committed to a person or group to perform

authority to undertake or perform certain duties or functions

a document granting such authority

military

a document conferring a rank on an officer
the rank or authority thereby granted

a group of people charged with certain dutiesa commission of inquiry

a government agency or board empowered to exercise administrative, judicial, or legislative authoritySee also Royal Commission

the authority given to a person or organization to act as an agent to a principal in commercial transactions
the fee allotted to an agent for services rendered

the state of being charged with specific duties or responsibilities

the act of committing a sin, crime, etc

something, esp a sin, crime, etc, that is committed

good working condition or (esp of a ship) active service (esp in the phrases in or into commission, out of commission)

US the head of a department of municipal government

verb

(tr) to grant authority to; charge with a duty or task

(tr) military to confer a rank on or authorize an action by

(tr) to equip and test (a ship) for active service

to make or become operative or operablethe plant is due to commission next year

(tr) to place an order for (something)to commission a portrait

Derived Forms

commissional or commissionary, adjective

Word Origin for commission

C14: from Old French, from Latin commissiō a bringing together, from committere to commit

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Culture definitions for commission

commission

A fee paid to a broker or other financial agent for negotiating a sale. The fee is based on a percentage of the sale price.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Idioms and Phrases with commission

commission

see in commission; on commission; out of commission.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.