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.

"But most of us are employees - we don't control pricing structures and we're not paid on commission."

From BBC • May 4, 2026

Financial advisers who aren’t on commission almost always recommend that investors buy low-cost financial products.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

Other advisers, including many at firms such as Morgan Stanley, UBS and Merrill, are paid on commission, and get what is known as a “trailing fee.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 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

Having someone like Darlene on commission was better than having her on salary.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

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