I. ˈmishən noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: New Latin, Medieval Latin & Latin; New Latin mission-, missio ministry commissioned by a religious organization, from Medieval Latin, task with which one is charged, from Latin, act of sending, from missus (past participle of mittere to throw, send) + -ion-, -io -ion — more at smite
1. obsolete : the act or an instance of sending
2.
a. : a ministry (as preaching or educational or medical work) commissioned by a church or some other religious organization for the purpose of propagating its faith or carrying on humanitarian work
organized a mission to the Indians
conducted a mission among the refugees
— compare foreign mission , home mission , rescue mission
b. : assignment to or work in a field of missionary enterprise
go on mission as an unprofessed sister
c.
(1) : a mission institution (as a church, school, or hospital) or establishment (as a compound or a community and its lands) or a building
mission hall
(2) : a local church that is not self-supporting and that relies upon its denomination or larger religious organization for financial support
d. : the body of missionaries or the administrative organization of a missionary territory working under a church or religious organization
e. missions plural : organized missionary work
the seminary's professor of missions
give more to local expenses than to missions
f. : the administrative division of a Roman Catholic vicariate or apostolic prefecture corresponding to a parish
g. : a course of sermons and services at a particular place and time for the special purpose of quickening the faith and zeal of Christians and of converting unbelievers
to conduct a preaching mission
3. : a body of persons appointed to go somewhere to perform a service or carry on an activity: as
a. : a group of persons sent to a foreign country to conduct diplomatic or political negotiations
the ill-fated Grey mission to the United States in the latter part of 1919 — Times Literary Supplement
b. : a permanent embassy or legation in a foreign country
reopen diplomatic missions in those countries … in which it had been previously authorized to establish consular offices — John Hay b. 1910
c. : a team of scientific or technical specialists sent to a foreign country (as to aid in the development of industry or natural resources)
served on a mission to help improve agricultural methods
d. : a group of leaders in culture or education unofficially representing their country in a foreign country
step up the exchange of cultural missions
e. : a team of military specialists sent to a foreign country to assist in the training of its armed forces
military missions sent by its allies have helped greatly to modernize its army
4.
a. : a specific task with which a person or group is charged ; especially : an assignment given to a person or group in an official capacity
given the difficult and dangerous mission of exploring the newly acquired territory
by patient negotiation succeeded in his mission of averting a strike
hero of a rescue mission
b. : the chief function or responsibility of an organization or institution
the Erie's principal mission , however, is freight service — Trains
the mission of that school was to make distant times … intelligible and acceptable to a society issuing from the eighteenth century — J.E.E.Dalberg-Acton
5. : a continuing task or responsibility that one is destined or fitted to do or specially called upon to undertake : lifework , vocation
took upon himself the mission of bettering the school system
his mission was to preserve the Union
gave sense and direction to a young life seeking a mission — P.H.Vieth
6.
a. : a major continuing duty assigned to a military service or command as a part of its function in the national military establishment
the wartime mission of a Navy is to gain and maintain control of the seas — R.A.Ofstie
b. : a definite military or naval task assigned to an individual or unit usually for performance in a combat area or enemy territory
the patrol successfully carried out its mission of bringing back two enemy prisoners
mission accomplished
c. : a flight operation of a single airplane or a group of airplanes charged with the performance of a specific task
flew nineteen missions during the war
a weather mission
II. verb
( missioned ; missioned ; missioning -sh(ə)niŋ ; missions )
transitive verb
1. : to send on or entrust with a mission
missioned her … servants to enrich the fretted splendor of each nook and niche — John Keats
for the last several years, she had been missioned at St. Mary's Convent — Springfield (Massachusetts) Union
2. : to carry on a religious mission among or in
missioned a territory larger than the state of Texas
intransitive verb
: to carry on a mission : to act as a missionary
now missioning in Argentina for the Midland Bank — Time