rescue mission

noun

plural rescue missions

1

: a city religious mission (see mission entry 1 sense 4a) providing social and spiritual assistance to the poor and needy

The nonprofit, Christian-based rescue mission has provided a variety of social services to the poor and homeless over its 55-year history.

—Janet Lavelle

also : the premises of a rescue mission

I used to go quite often to Charleston, West Virginia to speak in the old rescue mission …

—Lee Roberson

2

: an undertaking to rescue someone or something from a dangerous or difficult situation

They kept him alive that way for more than twenty-four hours, waiting for a helicopter rescue mission that came too late.

—Jamie James

After a 12-hour rescue mission, navy personnel were able to tow the animal safely to land.

—Brigit Katz

Examples of rescue mission in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

People who had taken part in rescue missions were even receiving online death threats. —Jessica Camille Aguirre, New Yorker, 2 May 2026

According to the New York Times, Saturday's daring rescue mission was the 5th staged attempt to shuttle Timmy back into deeper water. —Alana Wise, NPR, 2 May 2026

The successful complex rescue mission was proposed and funded by two private investors, according to Reuters. —Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026

Preston Hieb, the search and rescue mission coordinator for the Coast Guard Oceania District, said in the statement. —Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rescue mission

• abolition
• acquisition
• admonition
• ammunition
• apparition
• apposition
• coalition
• competition
• composition
• definition
• deglutition
• demolition