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

When an infantry unit was trapped and isolated by the enemy, Capers led a rescue mission to get the Marines out of the kill zone under fire. — Ethan Rocke, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026

The rescue mission failed after the commercial spacecraft sent to save the telescope began spinning out of control. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

The two-day rescue mission took place in Nagaland, a state in northeast India, in early July, according to a press release from Humane World for Animals that PEOPLE obtained. — Michael Nied, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026

In 2025, New Hampshire spent just over $250,000 on search and rescue missions. — Neal Riley, CBS News, 17 Aug. 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