Definition of "commission"

commission

/kəˈmɪʃən/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural commissions
1. A sending or mission (to do or accomplish something).
2. An official charge or authority to do something, often used of military officers.
  Quotations
  Let him see our commission.
  c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene iv]
  This is an exact Inventory of what we found about the Body of the Man-Mountain, who uſed us with great Civility, and due Reſpect to your Majefty's Commiſſion.
  1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Emperor of Lilliput, Attended by Several of the Nobility, Come to See the Author in His Confinement. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], part I (A Voyage to Lilliput), page 43
3. The thing to be done as agent for another.
4. A body or group of people, officially tasked with carrying out a particular function.
  Quotations
  A commission was at once appointed to examine into the matter.
  1855–1858, William H[ickling] Prescott, History of the Reign of Philip the Second, King of Spain, volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), Boston, Mass.: Phillips, Sampson, and Company
5. A fee charged by an agent or broker for carrying out a transaction.
  Quotations
  [T]he scandal was the pretty common one of a corrupt agreement between hotel proprietors and a salesman who took and gave secret commissions, so that his business had a monopoly of all the drink sold in the place.
  1935, G. K. Chesterton, The Scandal of Father Brown
6. The act of committing (e.g. a crime or error).
  Quotations
  Every commission of sin introduces into the soul a certain degree of hardness.
  1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, 6th edition, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] J[ames] Bettenham, for Jonah Bowyer, […], published 1727
verb
third-person singular simple present commissions, present participle commissioning, simple past and past participle commissioned
1. (transitive) To send or officially charge someone or some group to do something.
  Quotations
  Stanning, who was commissioned from Sandhurst in 2008 and has served in Afghanistan, is not the first solider[sic – meaning soldier] to bail out the organisers at these Games but will be among the most celebrated.
  2012 August 1, Owen Gibson, London 2012: rowers Glover and Stanning win Team GB's first gold medal‎, Guardian Unlimited
2. (transitive) To place an order for (often a piece of art).
3. (transitive, especially of a ship or boat) To put into active service.
  Quotations
  The 1.7 mile-long conveyor system was commissioned in November 2022, and will remove one million lorry movements from the roads around West London.
  2023 March 8, Chris Howe, “Building the platform for Old Oak Common's platforms”, in RAIL, number 978, page 60

Definition of "commission"

commission

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