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

What is the spacecraft tasked with the rescue mission? — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 June 2026

The Venezuela deployment will be Whelan’s first search and rescue mission since Marrero picked and trained with her at the University of Pennsylvania. — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 27 June 2026

What initially seems like the perfect place for a rescue mission quickly turns into a nightmare. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026

Courtesy José Alberto Gallipoli The rescue mission was precarious. — Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 26 June 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