commission
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.an official group of people who are asked to find out about something or control something.
n.a formal body or committee officially tasked with an investigative, administrative, or legislative function.
Simple“The government set up a commission to look into the causes of the flood.”
In context“The European Commission proposed new regulations to standardise digital privacy across all member states by the end of the fiscal year.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.an amount of money paid to an employee for selling something.
n.a fee or percentage of a sale paid to an agent or salesperson as remuneration for services rendered.
Simple“She earns a small basic salary plus a ten percent commission on every car she sells.”
In context“Real estate agents typically operate on a commission basis, incentivising them to secure the highest possible market price for their clients.”
Usageoften used with the preposition 'on'
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
n.an official document that makes someone an officer in the army, navy, or air force.
n.a formal warrant conferring the rank of officer in the armed forces.
Simple“After finishing his training, he received his commission as a second lieutenant.”
In context“He resigned his commission in the Royal Navy to pursue a career in maritime law after a decade of active service.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.the act of doing something wrong or illegal.
n.the act of perpetrating a crime, sin, or error.
Simple“The police had enough evidence to prove the commission of the crime.”
In context“The defendant was charged not only with the commission of the robbery but also with conspiracy to obstruct the subsequent investigation.”
Teacher's tipOften contrasted with 'omission' (failing to do something) in legal and ethical contexts.
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to formally ask someone to write, make, or create something for you.
v.to formally request the production of a specific work, such as a piece of art, music, or a report.
Simple“The city decided to commission a local artist to paint a mural on the library wall.”
In context“The magazine commissioned a series of articles exploring the impact of artificial intelligence on the creative industries over the next decade.”
- 06 C1 Advanced
v.to bring something, like a ship or a power station, into official use.
v.to bring a ship, facility, or piece of equipment into active operational status.
Simple“The new hospital was commissioned last month and is now treating patients.”
In context“The naval base prepared to commission the new destroyer following a successful series of sea trials in the North Atlantic.”
From Middle English commissioun, from Old French commission, from Latin commissiō (“sending together; commission”), from prefix com- (“with”) + noun of action missiō (“sending”), from perfect passive participle missus (“sent”), from the verb mittō (“to send”) + noun of action suffix -iō.
Compare Italian camicia and Romanian cămeșă.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.