# commission

/kəˈmɪʃən/ (US) · /kəmˈɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/commission
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. official group

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

an official group of people who are asked to find out about something or control something.

For teachers: a formal body or committee officially tasked with an investigative, administrative, or legislative function.

- The government set up a commission to look into the causes of the flood.
- The European Commission proposed new regulations to standardise digital privacy across all member states by the end of the fiscal year.

### 2. sales payment

noun · CEFR B2

an amount of money paid to an employee for selling something.

For teachers: a fee or percentage of a sale paid to an agent or salesperson as remuneration for services rendered.

- She earns a small basic salary plus a ten percent commission on every car she sells.
- Real estate agents typically operate on a commission basis, incentivising them to secure the highest possible market price for their clients.

Usage: often used with the preposition 'on'

### 3. military rank

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

an official document that makes someone an officer in the army, navy, or air force.

For teachers: a formal warrant conferring the rank of officer in the armed forces.

- After finishing his training, he received his commission as a second lieutenant.
- He resigned his commission in the Royal Navy to pursue a career in maritime law after a decade of active service.

### 4. committing a crime

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Academic

the act of doing something wrong or illegal.

For teachers: the act of perpetrating a crime, sin, or error.

- The police had enough evidence to prove the commission of the crime.
- The defendant was charged not only with the commission of the robbery but also with conspiracy to obstruct the subsequent investigation.

Teaching tip: Often contrasted with 'omission' (failing to do something) in legal and ethical contexts.

### 5. to order work

verb · CEFR B2

to formally ask someone to write, make, or create something for you.

For teachers: to formally request the production of a specific work, such as a piece of art, music, or a report.

- The city decided to commission a local artist to paint a mural on the library wall.
- The magazine commissioned a series of articles exploring the impact of artificial intelligence on the creative industries over the next decade.

### 6. to put into service

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to bring something, like a ship or a power station, into official use.

For teachers: to bring a ship, facility, or piece of equipment into active operational status.

- The new hospital was commissioned last month and is now treating patients.
- The naval base prepared to commission the new destroyer following a successful series of sea trials in the North Atlantic.

## Examples

- She earns a ten percent commission on every car she sells.
- The government established an independent commission to investigate the causes of the recent financial crisis.
- While the base salary remains modest, the potential for high commission motivates the sales team to pursue aggressive growth targets in the competitive real estate market.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.