[com.mis.sion] n [ME, fr. MF, fr. L commission-, commissio act of bringing together, fr. committere] (14c) 1 a: a formal written warrant granting the power to perform various acts or duties b: a certificate conferring military rank and authority; also: the rank and authority so conferred
2: an authorization or command to act in a prescribed manner or to perform prescribed acts: charge 3 a: authority to act for, in behalf of, or in place of another b: a task or matter entrusted to one as an agent for another
4. a: a group of persons directed to perform some duty b: a government agency having administrative, legislative, or judicial powers c: a city council having legislative and executive functions
5: an act of committing something
6: a fee paid to an agent or employee for transacting a piece of business or performing a service; esp: a percentage of the money received from a total paid to the agent responsible for the business 7: an act of entrusting or giving authority -- in commission or into commission 1: under the authority of commissioners
2. of a ship: ready for active service
3: in use or in condition for use -- on commission : with commission serving as partial or full pay for work done -- out of commission 1: out of active service or use
2: out of working order
[2]commission vt -mis.sioned ; -mis.sion.ing (ca. 1661) 1: to furnish with a commission: as a: to confer a formal commission on "was ~ed lieutenant" b: to appoint or assign to a task or function "was ~ed to do the biography"
2: to order to be made "~ed a portrait"
3: to put (a ship) in commission