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

In recent years, cockroaches have been utilized to play a very important role in urban search-and-rescue missions. — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2026

Search and rescue missions are still underway across the Nepal-China border, where authorities in both countries confirm the death toll to have risen to 1,375. — Kosh Raj Koirala, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026

The Grand Canyon has seen ravaging floods in the past week, sparking search and rescue missions and damaging nearly 40% of its sole water pipeline. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2026

As the rescue mission continues, researchers warn that disasters like this could become more common all over the planet as a result of climate change. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 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