COMMISSIONS | English Meaning, Definition, and Pronunciation

Middle English: via Old French from Latin commissio(n-), from committere ‘entrust’ (see commit)

an instruction, command, or role given to a person or group

instruction or command

• one of his first commissions was to redesign the Great Exhibition building
• he received a commission to act as an informer

a group of people entrusted by a government or other official body with authority to do something

group given authority to do something

• a commission was appointed to investigate the allegations

a sum, typically a set percentage of the value involved, paid to an agent in a commercial transaction

percentage of transaction paid to agent

• foreign banks may charge a commission
• he sold cosmetics on commission

a warrant conferring the rank of officer in an army, navy, or air force

warrant conferring officer's rank

• he has resigned his commission
• she intended to apply for a commission in the army

the action of committing a crime or offence

action of committing crime

• the commission of an arrestable offence
• the errors are of omission rather than commission

order or authorize the production of (something)

order or authorize production of

• the portrait was commissioned by his widow in 1792

bring (something newly produced) into working condition

bring new thing into working condition

• we had a few hiccups getting the heating equipment commissioned
• the aircraft carrier was commissioned in 1945

appoint (someone) to the rank of officer in an army, navy, or air force

appoint to officer's rank

• he was commissioned into the Royal Fusiliers