mission
missions
A mission is a special quest, one that involves more effort than, say, a trip to the corner store. If you were to drive all around the state searching garage sales for porcelain cats, you could say you were on a mission.
Mission comes from a Latin word that means “to send.” It was first used by Jesuit missionaries who sent members of their order overseas to establish schools and churches. Foreign travel is still associated with the word. When diplomats and humanitarian workers travel abroad, we often refer to those trips as missions.
Definitions of mission
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an operation that is assigned by a higher headquarters“the planes were on a bombing mission”
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synonyms:
military mission
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types:
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combat mission
a mission to capture or defend something
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search mission
a mission to discover something
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search and destroy mission
an operation developed for United States troops in Vietnam; troops would move through a designated area destroying troops as they found them
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direct support
a mission requiring one force to support another specific force and authorizing it to answer directly the supported force's request for assistance
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type of:
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military operation, operation
activity by a military or naval force (as a maneuver or campaign)
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a special assignment that is given to a person or group“a confidential mission to London”
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synonyms:
charge, commission
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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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an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
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types:
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idea, mind
your intention; what you intend to do
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cross-purpose
a contrary aim
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final cause
(philosophy) the end or purpose of a thing or process
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sake
the purpose of achieving or obtaining
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view
purpose; the phrase `with a view to' means `with the intention of' or `for the purpose of'
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will
a fixed and persistent intent or purpose
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a group of representatives or delegates
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synonyms:
commission, delegacy, delegation, deputation
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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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an organization of missionaries in a foreign land sent to carry on religious work
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synonyms:
foreign mission, missionary post, missionary station
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type of:
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NGO, nongovernmental organization
an organization that is not part of the local or state or federal government
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NGO, nongovernmental organization
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a ministry operated by a religious organization to carry out humanitarian work
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type of:
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charity
an institution set up to provide help to the needy
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charity
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the organized work of a religious missionary
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synonyms:
missionary work
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a building or compound used by a group carrying out religious and humanitarian work
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘mission'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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