plural commissions
1
: a group of people who have been given the official job of finding information about something or controlling something : committee
She served on the city's water commission.
the Federal Elections Commission
Both states set up commissions to examine their public schools.
2
: an amount of money paid to an employee for selling something
She gets a commission for each car she sells.
She sells cars on commission. [=she receives an amount of money for each car that she sells]
The salespeople in that store all work on commission.
3
formal
: the act of committing a crime
a weapon used in the commission of a crime
4
: a request or order for someone to do something for money
He received a commission from the king to paint the queen's portrait.
an artist working on commission [=an artist doing work that has been specifically requested or ordered]
5
: a position of high rank in the military
He received his commission in the Army as a colonel.
commissions; commissioned; commissioning
1
a
: to order or request (something) to be made or done
A portrait of the queen was commissioned.
The magazine commissioned a story about the world's best beaches.
The report on poverty was commissioned by the governor.
b
: to order or request (someone) to make or do something
The king commissioned the artist to paint his portrait.
2
: to make (someone) an officer in the military
She was commissioned in the Navy as a captain.
3
: to make (a ship) officially active and ready for use
The ship was commissioned in 2004.
Cite this Entry
“Commission.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/commission. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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