commission

American  

[kuh-mish-uhn] / kəˈmɪʃ ən /

noun

• commissions
  plural

1. 

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

2. an authoritative order, charge, or direction.

3. authority granted for a particular action or function.

4. a document granting such authority.

5. 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.

6. the power thus granted.

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

8. a group of persons authoritatively charged with particular functions.

   a parks commission.

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

10. a task or matter committed to one's charge; official assignment.

    The architect received a commission to design an office building.

11. the act of committing or perpetrating a crime, error, etc..

    The commission of a misdemeanor is punishable by law.

12. something that is committed.

    He was held accountable for his evil commissions.

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

14. 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.

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verb (used with object)

• commissions,
  present (3rd person singular)
• commissioned,
  past participle,  past
• commissioning
  present participle

1. to give a commission to.

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

2. to authorize; send on a mission.

   I've been commissioned by my friend overseas to find him a cheap apartment in New York.

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

4. to give a commission or order for.

   The owners commissioned a painting for the building's lobby.

idioms

1. in commission,

   1. in service.

   2. in operating order.

      A great deal of work will be necessary to put this car in commission again.

   3. Navy. Also into commission. (of a ship) manned and in condition for or ordered to active service.

2. out of commission,

   1. not in service.

      Telephone lines were out of commission for several days after the storm.

   2. not in operating order.

      Sorry, but I can't bake cupcakes for you while the stove is out of commission.

3. 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.

commission British  

/ kəˈmɪʃən /

noun

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

2. authority to undertake or perform certain duties or functions

3. a document granting such authority

4. military

   1. a document conferring a rank on an officer

   2. the rank or authority thereby granted

5. a group of people charged with certain duties

   a commission of inquiry

6. a government agency or board empowered to exercise administrative, judicial, or legislative authority See also Royal Commission

7. 1. the authority given to a person or organization to act as an agent to a principal in commercial transactions

   2. the fee allotted to an agent for services rendered

8. the state of being charged with specific duties or responsibilities

9. the act of committing a sin, crime, etc

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

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

12. the head of a department of municipal government

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verb

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

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

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

4. to make or become operative or operable

   the plant is due to commission next year

5. (tr) to place an order for (something)

   to commission a portrait

commission Cultural  

1. 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.

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commission More Idioms  

1. see in commission; on commission; out of commission.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• intercommission
  noun
• recommission
  noun
• subcommission
  noun
• commissionable
  adjective
• commissional
  adjective
• commissive
  adjective
• uncommissioned
  adjective
• commissively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• commissions
  plural

Participles

• commissioning
  present
• commissioned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• commission
  simple
• commissions
  simple
• have commissioned
  perfect
• has commissioned
  perfect
• am commissioning
  progressive
• are commissioning
  progressive
• is commissioning
  progressive
• have been commissioning
  perfect progressive
• has been commissioning
  perfect progressive

Past

• commissioned
  simple
• had commissioned
  perfect
• was commissioning
  progressive
• were commissioning
  progressive
• had been commissioning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will commission
  simple
• will have commissioned
  perfect
• will be commissioning
  progressive
• will have been commissioning
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of commission

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin commissiōn-, stem of commissiō “commencement”; equivalent to com- + mission

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Explanation

The word commission has several very different meanings, but in its most basic meaning, commission is the act of passing a responsibility to someone else. If you receive a government commission, that means you have been assigned a task by the government. Another common meaning of commission is the amount of money an employee earns when they sell something: In addition to his salary, he gets a 1% commission on each sale. A commission is also an order for someone to do something and get paid: The artist received a commission for a new painting to hang in the building lobby. And a commission is a high-ranking position in the armed forces, or a special committee that controls or investigates something.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

commission commissions commissioned commissioning

The announcement has added to growing frustration among owners following increases in Airbnb's commission rates last year.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

A spokesperson for the commission said that following the inquest, they had "been working with Gamstop and Allwyn, the National Lottery operator, to consider whether further protections are needed in this area".

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

Police said they had arrested three suspects, but the election commission described the incident as an isolated local case.

From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026

Governance: Measure G also created, among other things, a county ethics commission and an ethics compliance office.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

The upshot was that a papal commission was set up to look into the affair.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

The program hasn’t yet gone to the harbor commissions for approval.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

So always check what you are buying and who you are buying it from, and ask about their sales commissions.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026

Some states, such as Illinois and Minnesota, have established commissions to begin the work of accountability already.

From Slate ● Oct. 21, 2026

The study, "A pilot study of daily blueberry intake modulates the gut microbiota enzyme commissions in older, sedentary adults with mild depressive symptoms," was published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

While she was showing me her different makeup applicators, the woman, who had stiff platinum hair and eyelashes tarred in mascara, told me I must be earning a truckload in commissions.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

A study commissioned by the California Primary Care Assn. found that clinics could face up to $1.7 billion in collective penalties in the first year of the measure’s implementation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

The hotel commissioned her to paint a 5-by-12-foot triptych depicting a thunderstorm brewing over the Hill Country.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

You will never guess who commissioned that report.

From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026

The research, known as the Alcohol Intake and Health Study, was originally commissioned by the U.S. federal government to help shape updated national dietary recommendations.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026

He was even commissioned to make a wrought iron gate.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

"As part of that process we are commissioning an external review of our RDI function, which will also inform the strengthening of governance in this area."

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026

Tesla plans to begin commissioning equipment for a planned facility in its hometown of Austin, Texas, in 2027, it told investors on Wednesday.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026

Paul Cremo, who directs the Met's commissioning program, said creating the other-worldly universe for "Bardo" -- in which tendrils engulf singers and ghosts explode -- challenged the Met's technical staff.

From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2026

In its lawsuit filed Sept. 10 against Altus Power and subcontractor Pearce Services, Lineage claims Altus sought to re-energize the solar array to complete testing and commissioning around June 23, 2025.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

I wanted to stay at Valley Forge and attend its junior college, which would allow me to go through the early commissioning process, receive my associate’s degree, and become a second lieutenant in the Army.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore

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