commission

[ kuh-mish-uhn ]

/ kəˈmɪʃ ən /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: commission / commissioned / commissioning / commissions on Thesaurus.com

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.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about commission

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

OTHER WORDS FROM commission

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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH commission

commission , omission

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use commission in a sentence

Over half of the claims were in the hotel, food service, health care, administrative support and retail industries, according to the commission.
Feds cut extended unemployment benefits in Virginia as state’s economy improves|Laura Vozzella|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
The goal is to have a commission that is representative of the county’s electorate in many ways, including race, geographic location within the county, political leanings and more.
Morning Report: Turning Border Sewage Into Local Water|Voice of San Diego|November 20, 2020|Voice of San Diego
The commission operates a treatment plant in the South Bay that’s supposed to catch and clean effluent from the Tijuana River as it spills over the border.
Two Companies See a Golden Opportunity in the Tijuana River’s Brown Waters|MacKenzie Elmer|November 20, 2020|Voice of San Diego
On Thursday morning, Christian was placed on injured reserve because of his knee injury, which means he will be out of commission for at least three weeks.
Washington is now down to its fourth option at left tackle: Right tackle Morgan Moses|Nicki Jhabvala|November 19, 2020|Washington Post

After his unmasking, Moser told the commission that he’d been working for the family of another Republican candidate.
Morning Report: County Digs in to Keep COVID Data Private|Voice of San Diego|November 19, 2020|Voice of San Diego
But not Igor Olenicoff, who was caught commissioning forged sculptures to decorate his California properties.
Real Estate Mogul Igor Olenicoff Busted for Art Forgery|Justin Jones|June 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So seriously that it went to the trouble of commissioning a survey, described here in a post on the Financial Times website.
Goldman Loves its Customers so Much it Won't Talk to Them|David Frum|March 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
This need for an artistic response led to Kent's commissioning of 12 plays by established and up-and-coming writers.
A Play's Political Game|Thomas Wide|November 29, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The 4th August 1916 saw the commissioning of a boat which was a revolution in submarine design.
The Story of Our Submarines|John Graham Bower
We must go on volunteering, and commissioning the rusty militia-men and greasy demagogues who bring in the companies.
Miss Ravenel's conversion from secession to loyalty|J. W. de Forest
The presbytery felt that they were commissioning a servant of God to do a work that would cost his life.
Sketches of the Covenanters|J. C. McFeeters
The best that government has done for art in France is the commissioning of the great decorative paintings of Baudry and Puvis.
Artist and Public|Kenyon Cox
I first made my own bow, then drew forth the State paper commissioning me to call together 'this august body.'
The Adventures of My Cousin Smooth|Timothy Templeton

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 of commission

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

Cultural 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.

Other Idioms and Phrases with commission

commission

see in commission; on commission; out of commission.

commission

Idioms about commission

Origin of commission

OTHER WORDS FROM commission

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH commission

Words related to commission

How to use commission in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for commission

Derived forms of commission

Word Origin for commission

Cultural definitions for commission

Other Idioms and Phrases with commission