commission

Pronunciation

• IPA ^(key): /kəˈmɪʃən/
• SAMPA: /k@"mIS@n/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

Singular commission

Plural commissions

1. (countable) A commission is a group of people who work together to research or manage something for a government.

   She was recently appointed to head the European commission on climate change.

2. (countable & uncountable) A commission is money that a salesperson receives for each sale.

   You may have to pay commission to convert the dollars into local currency on your travels.

3. (uncountable) The official appointment of an officer in a nation's armed forces.

   Brummell resigned his commission when his regiment was posted to Manchester.

4. (uncountable) A commission is a task to be undertaken.

   My commission was only to deliver this message.

Verb

Plain form commission

Third-person singular commissions

Past tense commissioned

Past participle commissioned

Present participle commissioning

1. (transitive) If you commission someone to do or create something, you formally ask them to do it.

   The report commissioned by the Department of Health in 1989, contains guidelines on how best to manage and organise waiting lists.

Related words

• commissioner