/ ˈmɪʃn; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
OFFICIAL JOB / GROUP
1.
[ C ] an important official job that a person or group of people is given to do, especially when they are sent to another country :
a trade mission to China
a fact-finding mission
a mercy mission to aid homeless refugees
2.
[ C ] a group of people doing such a job; the place where they work :
the head of the British mission in Berlin
TEACHING CHRISTIANITY
3.
[ C , U ] the work of teaching people about Christianity, especially in a foreign country; a group of people doing such work :
a Catholic mission in Africa
Gandhi's attitude to mission and conversion
4.
[ C ] a building or group of buildings used by a Christian mission
YOUR DUTY
5.
[ C ] particular work that you feel it is your duty to do :
Her mission in life was to work with the homeless.
SYN vocation ➡ note at task
OF ARMED FORCES
6.
[ C ] an important job that is done by a soldier, group of soldiers, etc. :
The squadron flew on a reconnaissance mission.
SPACE FLIGHT
7.
[ C ] a flight into space :
a US space mission
mission control (= the people on earth who control and communicate with the people on the mission )
TASK
8.
[ C ] ( BrE , informal ) a task or journey that is very difficult and takes a long time to complete :
It's a mission to get there.
•
IDIOMS
- mission accomplished
■ verb
[ v + adv. / prep. ] ( informal ) to go on a long and difficult journey, especially one that involves going to many different places :
We had to mission round all the bars until we found him.
••
WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent. (denoting the sending of the Holy Spirit into the world): from Latin missio(n-) , from mittere send.