on commission

Idioms

Making money based on sales or services rendered, as in Real estate agents rarely get a salary; they work largely on commission. This use of the noun commission, which generally refers to a percentage of the total price, dates from the early 1700s.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In the current climate, we could all learn to think more like people who work on commission.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

"But I'm paid only on commission, and the idea of no longer being able to afford to stay here -- that, yes, that scares me."

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

“I never did collect any commissions and it’s in the contract based on commission percentages that would have been made on any sales accrued,” Kerr told the trustee, according to The 74.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026

They may earn at least a partial salary from that carrier rather than rely solely on commission, and they work for large well-established companies such as USAA, Allstate and State Farm.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026

Better still, I would be able to pursue my own projects then sell them on commission for a profit.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023