commission

¹com·mis·sion

noun \kə-ˈmi-shən\

Definition of COMMISSION

1

a : a formal written warrant granting the power to perform various acts or duties

b : a certificate conferring military rank and authority; also : the rank and authority so conferred

2

: an authorization or command to act in a prescribed manner or to perform prescribed acts : charge

3

a : authority to act for, in behalf of, or in place of another

b : a task or matter entrusted to one as an agent for another

4

a : a group of persons directed to perform some duty

b : a government agency having administrative, legislative, or judicial powers

c : a city council having legislative and executive functions

5

: an act of committing something <commission of a crime>

6

: a fee paid to an agent or employee for transacting a piece of business or performing a service; especially : a percentage of the money received from a total paid to the agent responsible for the business

7

: an act of entrusting or giving authority

— in commission or into commission

1

: under the authority of commissioners

2

of a ship : ready for active service

3

: in use or in condition for use

— on commission

: with commission serving as partial or full pay for work done

— out of commission

1

: out of active service or use

2

: out of working order

Examples of COMMISSION

1. She served on the city's water commission.
2. Both states set up commissions to examine their public schools.
3. She gets a commission for each car she sells.
4. The salespeople in that store all work on commission.
5. a weapon used in the commission of a crime

Origin of COMMISSION

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin commission-, commissio act of bringing together, from committere

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to COMMISSION

Synonyms

accreditation, authorization, delegation, empowerment, license (or licence), mandate

Antonyms

nonfulfillment, nonperformance

Related Words

commendation, consignment, entrustment; facilitation, fostering, promotion; commanding, directing, ordering

Near Antonyms

blackball, rejection; deposition, dethronement, ejection, eviction, ouster, overthrow, removal

Rhymes with COMMISSION

addition, admission, ambition, attrition, audition, beautician, clinician, cognition, coition, condition, contrition, demission, dentition, dismission, Domitian, edition, emission, ethician, fruition, ignition, Kittitian, lenition, logician, magician, Mauritian, monition, mortician, munition, musician, nutrition, omission, optician, partition, patrician, perdition, permission, petition, Phoenician, physician, Politian, position, punition, remission, rendition, sedition, submission, suspicion, tactician, technician, tradition, transition, transmission, tuition, volition

²commission

transitive verb

commis·sionedcommis·sion·ing \-ˈmi-sh(ə-)niŋ\

Definition of COMMISSION

1

: to furnish with a commission: as

a : to confer a formal commission on <was commissioned lieutenant>

b : to appoint or assign to a task or function <was commissioned to do the biography>

2

: to order to be made <commissioned a portrait>

3

: to put (a ship) in commission

Examples of COMMISSION

1. A portrait of the queen was commissioned.
2. The magazine commissioned a story about the world's best beaches.
3. The report on poverty was commissioned by the governor.
4. The king commissioned the artist to paint his portrait.
5. She was commissioned in the Navy as a captain.
6. The ship was commissioned in 2004.

First Known Use of COMMISSION

circa 1661

Related to COMMISSION

Synonyms

delegate, depute, deputize

Antonyms

disqualify

Related Words

assign, charge; appoint, designate, name, nominate

Near Antonyms

abrogate; abdicate

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

Rhymes with COMMISSION

ambition, audition, condition, munition, partition, patrician, petition, Phoenician, position, suspicion, transition