commission

[ kuh-mish-uh n ]

/ kəˈmɪʃ ən /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR commission 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.

Nearby words

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 confusedcommission omission

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

Examples from the Web for commissioning

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 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
In speaking of the Executive attribute, to wit, the appointing and commissioning officers, the term good behavior is used.
Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. II (of 16)|Thomas Hart Benton

It is difficult to say when the custom of hoisting a pendant on commissioning the ship became established.
British Flags|W. G. Perrin
So it seems that the plan of commissioning Gloucester to undertake the French war had gone some way.
Humphrey Duke of Gloucester|K.H. Vickers
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

British Dictionary definitions for commissioning

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 Formscommissional 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

Word Origin and History for commissioning

commission

mid-14c., "authority entrusted to someone," from Latin commissionem (nominative commissio) "delegation of business," noun of action from past participle stem of committere (see commit). Meaning "body of persons charged with authority" is from late 15c.

commission

1660s, from commission (n.). Related: Commissioned; commissioning.

Culture definitions for commissioning

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.

Idioms and Phrases with commissioning

commission

see in commission; on commission; out of commission.

commission

noun

verb (used with object)

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of commission

Examples from the Web for commissioning

commission

noun

verb

Word Origin for commission

commission

commission

commission

commission