1an instruction, command, or role given to a person or group:one of his first commissions was to redesign the Great Exhibition building [with infinitive]:he received a commission to act as an informer
an order for something, especially a work of art, to be produced specially:Mozart at last received a commission to write an opera
a work produced in response to a commission:in that year Zeuxis painted his most famous commission
[mass noun] archaic the authority to perform a task or certain duties:the divine Commission of Christ
2a group of people entrusted by a government or other official body with authority to do something:a commission was appointed to investigate allegations of police violence
3a sum, typically a set percentage of the value involved, paid to an agent in a commercial transaction:foreign banks may charge a commissionhe sold cosmetics on commission
4a warrant conferring the rank of officer in an army, navy, or air force:he has resigned his commissionshe intended to apply for a commission in the army
5 [mass noun] the action of committing a crime or offence:the commission of an arrestable offencethe errors are of omission rather than commission
ზმნა
Universal
1order or authorize the production of (something):the portrait was commissioned by his widow in 1792
[with object and infinitive] order or authorize (a person or organization) to do or produce something:they commissioned an architect to manage the building projecthe was commissioned to do a series of drawings
2bring (something newly produced) into working condition:we had a few hiccups getting the heating equipment commissionedthe aircraft carrier was commissioned in 1945
3appoint (someone) to the rank of officer in an army, navy, or air force:he was commissioned into the Royal Fusiliers (as adjective commissioned)a commissioned officer
in commission
in use or in service:a reduced number of ships were retained in commission
out of commission
not in service; not in working order:my car is out of commission until a new clutch arrives
(of a person) unable to work or function normally, especially through illness or injury:I’m employing her; I have to know how long she’s likely to be out of commission
