What does "commission" mean?
A sending or mission (to do or accomplish something).
Commission
/kəˈmɪʃən/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A sending or mission (to do or accomplish something).
- Grammar: commission is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: committee, accomplishment, accredit, achievement.
- Useful contrasts: base pay, cancel, decommission.
- Usage evidence: The commission concluded that the answer was no.
How to use "commission"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "commission" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "commission" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "commission" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "commission" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "commission" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "committee" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "commission", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A sending or mission (to do or accomplish something). countable, uncountable
- 2 A shirt or chemise. UK, obsolete, slang
"As from our beds, we doe oft cast our eyes, / Cleane linnen yeelds a shirt before we rise, / Which is a garment shifting in condition; / And in the canting tongue is a commission."
- 3 a special assignment that is given to a person or group wordnet
- 4 An official charge or authority to do something, often used of military officers. countable, uncountable
"David received his commission after graduating from West Point."
- 5 the act of committing a crime wordnet
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 The thing to be done as agent for another. countable, uncountable
"I have three commissions for the city."
- 7 the act of granting authority to undertake certain functions wordnet
- 8 A body or group of people, officially tasked with carrying out a particular function. countable, uncountable
"the European Commission"
- 9 an official document issued by a government and conferring on the recipient the rank of an officer in the armed forces wordnet
- 10 A fee charged by an agent or broker for carrying out a transaction. countable, uncountable
"a reseller's commission"
- 11 a formal statement of a command or injunction to do something wordnet
- 12 The act of committing (e.g. a crime or error). countable, uncountable
"the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism"
- 13 a special group delegated to consider some matter wordnet
- 14 a group of representatives or delegates wordnet
- 15 a fee for services rendered based on a percentage of an amount received or collected or agreed to be paid (as distinguished from a salary) wordnet
- 16 the state of being in good working order and ready for operation wordnet
Verb
- 1 To send or officially charge someone or some group to do something. transitive
"James Bond was commissioned with recovering the secret documents."
- 2 charge with a task wordnet
- 3 To place an order for (often a piece of art). transitive
"He commissioned a replica of the Mona Lisa for his living room, but the painter gave up after six months."
- 4 put into commission; equip for service; of ships wordnet
- 5 To put (a ship or boat, etc.) into active service. transitive
"The aircraft carrier was commissioned in 1944, during WWII."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 place an order for wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The commission concluded that the answer was no."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "commission"?
Common synonyms include: committee, accomplishment, accredit, achievement, act for, administration.
How do you use "commission" in a sentence?
The commission concluded that the answer was no.
How do you pronounce "commission"?
Pronounced /kəˈmɪʃən/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English commissioun, from Old French commission, from Latin commissiō (“sending together; commission”), from prefix com- (“with”) + noun of action missiō (“sending”), from perfect passive participle missus (“sent”), from the verb mittō (“to send”) + noun of action suffix -iō.
Etymology 2
Compare Italian camicia and Romanian cămeșă.