ENGLISH
REFERENCE

mission

n.
US //ˈmɪʃən// UK //mˈɪʃən// mis·sion
  1. 1 a specific task (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a specific job or duty that you are sent to do, often for the military or a space agency.

    a specific task or duty with which a person or group is charged, particularly in military or aerospace contexts.

    Example

    The astronauts successfully completed their mission to repair the satellite.

    Example

    The reconnaissance mission was aborted after the pilots detected a malfunction in the primary navigation system.
  2. 2 a life goal (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a very important goal or purpose that a person or company feels they must achieve.

    an overarching goal or purpose that guides the actions of an individual or organization.

    Example

    The charity's mission is to provide clean water to every village in the region.

    Example

    She made it her personal mission to ensure that every student in the district had access to high-quality musical instruments.
Show 3 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 religious work (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Religion

    a group of people sent to a foreign country to teach a religion or provide help.

    an organized effort by a religious group to propagate its faith or provide humanitarian aid, often in a foreign territory.

    Example

    He spent three years on a medical mission in a remote part of Africa.

    Example

    The church established a permanent mission in the valley to provide both spiritual guidance and basic healthcare to the local population.
  2. 4 a delegation (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    a group of people sent to represent their country or organization in another place.

    a body of persons sent to a foreign government or international organization as a permanent or temporary delegation.

    Example

    The trade mission arrived in Tokyo to discuss new export agreements.

    Example

    The diplomatic mission was tasked with negotiating a ceasefire before the end of the fiscal year.
  3. 5 a difficult journey (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal British English

    a long or difficult trip that feels like a lot of work.

    an arduous or unnecessarily complicated journey or task.

    Example

    It was a total mission getting across the city in the heavy rain.

    Example

    Finding a parking spot near the stadium on game day proved to be a complete mission.

    Usage

    Often used with 'a' or 'a bit of a' to describe a frustrating experience.
Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin missiō, missiōnem (“a sending, sending away, dispatching, discharging, release, remission, cessation”).

Word family
Idioms1 entry

© 2026 English Reference