commission

noun

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com·mis·sion | \ kə-ˈmi-shən

plural commissions

Definition of commission

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a formal written warrant granting the power to perform various acts or duties

b : a certificate conferring military rank and authority also : the rank and authority so conferred received a lieutenant's commission in the army

2a : an authorization or command to act in a prescribed manner or to perform prescribed acts : charge a commission to serve as notary public

b : a formal request to produce something (especially an artistic work) in exchange for payment … he found his footing as a Western artist when he received a commission in 1958 to create two … paintings …— William Grimes also : a work produced by commission … the play was a commission of the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis … — Sharon Eberson

3a : authority to act for, in behalf of, or in place of another … had summoned all the clans which acknowledged his commission …— T. B. Macaulay

b : a task or matter entrusted to one as an agent for another executed a commission for me while he was in Singapore

4a : a group of persons directed to perform some duty The state set up a commission to study the proposed merger of the school districts.

b : a government agency having administrative, legislative, or judicial powers regulatory powers exercised by the Federal Trade Commission

c : a city council having legislative and executive functions She served on the city's water commission.

5 : an act of committing something commission of a crime

6 : a fee paid to an agent or employee for transacting a piece of business or performing a service especially : a percentage of the money received from a total paid to the agent responsible for the business He gets a commission for each car he sells.

7 : an act of entrusting or giving authority the commission of limited powers to the administrator

in commission or into commission

1 : under the authority of commissioners

2 of a ship : ready for active service

3 : in use or in condition for use The Internet connection is back in commission.

on commission

: with commission serving as partial or full pay for work done an artist working on commission

out of commission

1 : out of active service or use The ferry was put out of commission because of the bad weather.

2 : out of working order The elevator was out of commission.

commission

verb

commissioned; commissioning\ kə-ˈmi-sh(ə-)niŋ

Definition of commission (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to furnish with a commission: such as

a : to confer a formal commission on was commissioned lieutenant

b : to appoint or assign to a task or function was commissioned to do the biography

2 : to order to be made commissioned a portrait

3 : to put (a ship) in commission The ship was commissioned in 2004.

Synonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing commission Learn More About commission

Examples of commission in a Sentence

Noun She served on the city's water commission. Both states set up commissions to examine their public schools. She gets a commission for each car she sells. The salespeople in that store all work on commission. a weapon used in the commission of a crime Verb 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. The king commissioned the artist to paint his portrait. She was commissioned in the Navy as a captain. The ship was commissioned in 2004. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Auditor Keith Faber has worked on new Senate and House districts, seeking input from Republicans and Democrats on the commission. — Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 4 May 2022 There are five members on the commission, and Watson only casts votes to break ties. — al, 29 Apr. 2022 Epic also notes that Google offered the company a sweetheart deal of 10 percent commission after Epic complained. — Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 29 Apr. 2022 The drive was much longer than anticipated, because the I-40 bridge that crosses into Arkansas was out of commission. — David Hill, Harper’s Magazine , 27 Apr. 2022 Tass’ mention of a commission of inquiry reinforced that speculation. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2022 Another obstacle for the Celtics is the state’s lack of a sports commission. — Gary Washburn, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Apr. 2022 The project came out of a commission for an Earth Day event more than a decade ago. — Grace Ann Natanawan, SPIN, 22 Apr. 2022 But remember, Tomer works on commission — so perhaps make out on your own time. — Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 21 Apr. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb She was asked by the House Oversight and Reform Committee, where her husband was chairman, to steer the effort to commission a portrait. — New York Times, 3 Dec. 2021 TikTok decided to officially commission their very first musical ever, which is kind of crazy. — NBC News, 14 Apr. 2022 His classmates included Allen Ginsberg, John Hollander and Robert Gottlieb, who, as an editor at Simon & Schuster, would later commission him to translate the second and third volumes of de Gaulle’s war memoirs. — New York Times, 31 Mar. 2022 His autobiography is a thoughtful contemplation of the role of design; a serious examination of the practice of architecture that simultaneously offers dishy takes on some of the most important people who commission, practice, and critique it. — The Editors, Town & Country, 8 Mar. 2022 And so Gallastegui decided to commission a special piece of music for the band to play. — Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2022 What better tribute, Jared thought, than to commission an instrument built from the very wood his father had so lovingly kept safe all those years? — Ellen Ruppel Shell, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2022 The Chamber of Commerce had even gone so far as to commission a painting by local artist David Swing. — Donna Reiner, The Arizona Republic, 25 Mar. 2022 Mater Dei has pledged to commission an independent firm to investigate the safety practices of its athletic programs, the Orange County Register reported. — Josh Peter, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'commission.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for commission

Noun

Middle English commissioun "delegated authority, warrant delegating authority," borrowed from Anglo-French commission, borrowed from Medieval Latin commissiōn-, commissiō "commitment, entrusting, grant of authority," going back to Late Latin, "joining, engagement, sin," going back to Latin, "commencement of a game," from committere "to join together, engage, place in the keeping of, entrust, bring about" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at commit

Verb

derivative of commission entry 1

Learn More About commission

Dictionary Entries Near commission

commissary general

commission

commissionable

Statistics for commission

Last Updated

11 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Commission.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commission. Accessed 17 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for commission

commission

noun

com·mis·sion | \ kə-ˈmi-shən

Kids Definition of commission

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : an order granting the power to perform various acts or duties : the right or duty to be performed

2 : a certificate that gives military or naval rank and authority : the rank and authority given He received his commission in the army as a captain.

3 : authority to act as agent for another : a task or piece of business entrusted to an agent

4 : a group of persons given orders and authority to perform specified duties a housing commission

5 : an act of doing something wrong the commission of a crime

6 : a fee paid to an agent for taking care of a piece of business

commission

verb

commissioned; commissioning

Kids Definition of commission (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to give a commission to

2 : to put (a ship) into service

commission

noun

com·mis·sion

Legal Definition of commission

1 : a formal written authorization to perform various acts and duties a notary's commission

2a : authority to act for, in behalf of, or in place of another

b : a task or matter entrusted to one as the agent for another

3a : a group of persons directed to perform a duty

b usually capitalized : a government agency Federal Trade Commission — see also agency

c : a city council having legislative and executive functions

4 : an act of committing something commission of the crime

5 : a fee paid to an agent or employee for transacting a piece of business or performing a service especially : a percentage of the money received paid to the agent responsible for the business