commission
Other forms: commissioned; commissions; commissioning
The word commission has several very different meanings, but in its most basic meaning, commission is the act of passing a responsibility to someone else. If you receive a government commission, that means you have been assigned a task by the government.
Another common meaning of commission is the amount of money an employee earns when they sell something: In addition to his salary, he gets a 1% commission on each sale. A commission is also an order for someone to do something and get paid: The artist received a commission for a new painting to hang in the building lobby. And a commission is a high-ranking position in the armed forces, or a special committee that controls or investigates something.
Definitions of commission
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the act of granting authority to undertake certain functions
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synonyms:
commissioning
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types:
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mandate
the commission that is given to a government and its policies through an electoral victory
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type of:
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authorisation, authorization, empowerment
the act of conferring legality or sanction or formal warrant
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mandate
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a formal statement of a command or injunction to do something
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a special assignment that is given to a person or group
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types:
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fool's errand
a fruitless mission
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mission impossible
an extremely dangerous or difficult mission
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martyr operation, sacrifice operation, suicide mission
killing or injuring others while annihilating yourself; usually accomplished with a bomb
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type of:
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assignment, duty assignment
a duty that you are assigned to perform (especially in the armed forces)
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fool's errand
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charge with a task
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place an order for
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type of:
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order
make a request for something
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order
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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)“he works on commission”
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type of:
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fee
a fixed charge for a privilege or for professional services
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fee
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a special group delegated to consider some matter
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synonyms:
committee
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types:
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ECOSOC commission, Economic and Social Council commission
a commission of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations
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blue ribbon commission, blue ribbon committee
an independent and exclusive commission of nonpartisan statesmen and experts formed to investigate some important governmental issue
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board
a committee having supervisory powers
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election commission
a commission delegated to supervise an election
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fairness commission
a commission delegated to ensure opportunities for the expression of opposing views
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planning commission
a commission delegated to propose plans for future activities and developments
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conservancy
a commission with jurisdiction over fisheries and navigation in a port or river
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select committee
a parliamentary committee appointed for some special purpose
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subcommittee
a subset of committee members organized for a specific purpose
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standing committee
a permanent legislative group that works on one subject
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steering committee
a committee to arrange the order of business for some larger (legislative) body
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ethics committee, ethics panel
a committee appointed to consider ethical issues
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finance committee
a committee appointed to consider financial issues
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politburo
the chief executive and political committee of the Communist Party
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PAC, political action committee
committee formed by a special-interest group to raise money for their favorite political candidates
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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
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zoning commission
a commission delegated to supervise the zoning of areas for residential or commercial use
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jury, panel
a committee appointed to judge a competition
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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
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Commission on Human Rights
the commission of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations that is concerned with human rights
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Commission on Narcotic Drugs
the commission of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations that is concerned with drug traffic
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Commission on the Status of Women
the commission of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations that is concerned with the status of women in different societies
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Economic Commission for Africa
the commission of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations that is concerned with economic development of African nations
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Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East
the commission of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations that is concerned with economic development of countries in Asia and the Far East
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Economic Commission for Europe
the commission of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations that is concerned with economic development in Europe
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Economic Commission for Latin America
the commission of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations that is concerned with economic development in Latin America
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Population Commission
the commission of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations that is concerned with population control
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Social Development Commission
the commission of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations that is concerned with social development
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Statistical Commission
the commission of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations that is concerned with statistical data from member nations
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appeal board, appeals board, board of appeals
a board of officials that are not judicial but are appointed to hear appeals
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board of selectmen
a board of officials elected to administer the public business of a New England town
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Federal Reserve Board
the seven-member board governing the Federal Reserve System
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governing board
a board that manages the affairs of an institution
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Ways and Means Committee
a permanent committee of the United States House of Representatives that makes recommendations to the US House on all bills that would raise revenue
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board of directors, directorate
a group of persons chosen to govern the affairs of a corporation or other large institution
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advisory board, planning board
a board appointed to advise the chief administrator
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draft board
a board to select personnel for involuntary military service
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board of education, school board
a board in charge of local public schools
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zoning board
a board of officials who divide an area into zones that are subject to different restrictions
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type of:
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administrative body, administrative unit
a unit with administrative responsibilities
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a group of representatives or delegates
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synonyms:
delegacy, delegation, deputation, mission
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types:
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diplomatic mission
a mission serving diplomatic ends
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embassy
an ambassador and his or her entourage collectively
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High Commission
an embassy of one British Commonwealth country to another
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foreign mission, legation
a permanent diplomatic mission headed by a minister
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type of:
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organisation, organization
a group of people who work together
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the state of being in good working order and ready for operation“put the ships into commission”“the motor was out of commission”
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type of:
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operation
the state of being in effect or being operative
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operation
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put into commission; equip for service; of ships
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the act of committing a crime
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synonyms:
committal, perpetration
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type of:
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crime, criminal offence, criminal offense, law-breaking, offence, offense
(criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act
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crime, criminal offence, criminal offense, law-breaking, offence, offense
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an official document issued by a government and conferring on the recipient the rank of an officer in the armed forces
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synonyms:
military commission
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type of:
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certificate, certification, credential, credentials
a document attesting to the truth of certain stated facts
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certificate, certification, credential, credentials
Pronunciation
US
/kəˈmɪʃən/
UK
/kəˈmɪʃɪn/
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Word Family
Vocabulary lists containing commission
The Last Mapmaker
In the Kingdom of Mangkon, twelve-year-old Sodsai Mudawan lies about her family's background so that she could have a chance at a bright future.
Room to Dream
In this third book of the Front Desk series, seventh-grader Mia Tang and her parents return from a vacation to discover that they are in danger of losing the Calivista Motel.
Sojourner Truth: Ain't I a Woman?
This biography chronicles the life of Sojourner Truth, a woman who was born a slave, and who became the embodiment of the universal ideals of abolition and equality.
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