COMMISSION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does commission mean? 

• COMMISSION (noun)
  The noun COMMISSION has 9 senses:

1. a special group delegated to consider some matter

2. 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)

3. the act of granting authority to undertake certain functions

4. the state of being in good working order and ready for operation

5. a group of representatives or delegates

6. a formal statement of a command or injunction to do something

7. an official document issued by a government and conferring on the recipient the rank of an officer in the armed forces

8. the act of committing a crime

9. a special assignment that is given to a person or group

  Familiarity information: COMMISSION used as a noun is familiar.

• COMMISSION (verb)
  The verb COMMISSION has 3 senses:

1. put into commission; equip for service; of ships

2. place an order for

3. charge with a task

  Familiarity information: COMMISSION used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COMMISSION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A special group delegated to consider some matter

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

commission; committee

Context example:

a committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours

Hypernyms ("commission" is a kind of...):

administrative body; administrative unit (a unit with administrative responsibilities)

Meronyms (members of "commission"):

commissioner (a member of a commission)

committee member (a member of a committee)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "commission"):

subcommittee (a subset of committee members organized for a specific purpose)

vestry (in the Protestant Episcopal Church: a committee elected by the congregation to work with the churchwardens in managing the temporal affairs of the church)

jury; panel (a committee appointed to judge a competition)

zoning commission (a commission delegated to supervise the zoning of areas for residential or commercial use)

praesidium; presidium (a permanent executive committee in socialist countries that has all the powers of some larger legislative body and that acts for it when it is not in session)

PAC; political action committee (committee formed by a special-interest group to raise money for their favorite political candidates)

politburo (the chief executive and political committee of the Communist Party)

finance committee (a committee appointed to consider financial issues)

ethics committee; ethics panel (a committee appointed to consider ethical issues)

steering committee (a committee to arrange the order of business for some larger (legislative) body)

standing committee (a permanent committee)

select committee (a parliamentary committee appointed for some special purpose)

conservancy (a commission with jurisdiction over fisheries and navigation in a port or river)

planning commission (a commission delegated to propose plans for future activities and developments)

fairness commission (a commission delegated to ensure opportunities for the expression of opposing views)

election commission (a commission delegated to supervise an election)

board (a committee having supervisory powers)

blue ribbon commission; blue ribbon committee (an independent and exclusive commission of nonpartisan statesmen and experts formed to investigate some important governmental issue)

Economic and Social Council commission; ECOSOC commission (a commission of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations)

Derivation:

commissioner (a member of a commission)

Sense 2

Meaning:

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)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Context example:

he works on commission

Hypernyms ("commission" is a kind of...):

fee (a fixed charge for a privilege or for professional services)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act of granting authority to undertake certain functions

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

commission; commissioning

Hypernyms ("commission" is a kind of...):

authorisation; authorization; empowerment (the act of conferring legality or sanction or formal warrant)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "commission"):

mandate (the commission that is given to a government and its policies through an electoral victory)

Derivation:

commissioner (a government administrator)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The state of being in good working order and ready for operation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Context example:

the motor was out of commission

Hypernyms ("commission" is a kind of...):

operation (the state of being in effect or being operative)

Derivation:

commission (put into commission; equip for service; of ships)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A group of representatives or delegates

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

commission; delegacy; delegation; deputation; mission

Hypernyms ("commission" is a kind of...):

organisation; organization (a group of people who work together)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "commission"):

diplomatic mission (a mission serving diplomatic ends)

embassy (an ambassador and his entourage collectively)

Derivation:

commissioner (a member of a commission)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A formal statement of a command or injunction to do something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

charge; commission; direction

Context example:

the judge's charge to the jury

Hypernyms ("commission" is a kind of...):

bid; bidding; command; dictation (an authoritative direction or instruction to do something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "commission"):

misdirection (an incorrect charge to a jury given by a judge)

Derivation:

commission (place an order for)

commissioner (a government administrator)

Sense 7

Meaning:

An official document issued by a government and conferring on the recipient the rank of an officer in the armed forces

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

commission; military commission

Hypernyms ("commission" is a kind of...):

certificate; certification; credential; credentials (a document attesting to the truth of certain stated facts)

Domain category:

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)

Sense 8

Meaning:

The act of committing a crime

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

commission; committal; perpetration

Hypernyms ("commission" is a kind of...):

crime; criminal offence; criminal offense; law-breaking ((criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act)

Derivation:

commit (perform an act, usually with a negative connotation)

Sense 9

Meaning:

A special assignment that is given to a person or group

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

charge; commission; mission

Context example:

his charge was deliver a message

Hypernyms ("commission" is a kind of...):

assignment; duty assignment (a duty that you are assigned to perform (especially in the armed forces))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "commission"):

mission impossible (an extremely dangerous or difficult mission)

martyr operation; sacrifice operation; suicide mission (killing or injuring others while annihilating yourself; usually accomplished with a bomb)

fool's errand (a fruitless mission)

Derivation:

commission (charge with a task)

• COMMISSION (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Put into commission; equip for service; of ships

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "commission" is one way to...):

equip; fit; fit out; outfit (provide with (something) usually for a specific purpose)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

commission (the state of being in good working order and ready for operation)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Place an order for

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "commission" is one way to...):

order (make a request for something)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something from somebody
Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE

Derivation:

commission (a formal statement of a command or injunction to do something)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Charge with a task

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "commission" is one way to...):

authorise; authorize; clear; pass (grant authorization or clearance for)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE

Sentence example:

They commission him to write the letter

Derivation:

commission (a special assignment that is given to a person or group)

commissioner (a government administrator)

commissioning (the act of granting authority to undertake certain functions)

 Context examples 

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 majesty’s commission.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Why should I slink away without having carried out my commission, and without the payment which was my due?

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"I cannot commission you to fetch help," he said; "but you may help me a little yourself, if you will be so kind."

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

If you are changing companies now and can negotiate a base salary plus commission with good company benefits, you’d like the results.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

It was a commission to me!

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

I have been commissioned to meet him, and—to make the best terms I can.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“I cannot imagine Henry ever to have been happier,” continued Mary presently, “than when he had succeeded in getting your brother's commission.”

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

"I came to offer myself as escort to your mother. Mr. Laurence has commissions for me in Washington, and it will give me real satisfaction to be of service to her there."

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Proud of his commission, and understanding it, Mr. Dick accompanied her as a shepherd's dog might accompany a sheep.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

And so, Darcy did every thing; made up the match, gave the money, paid the fellow's debts, and got him his commission!

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)