mission
- 01 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.
Simple“The astronauts successfully completed their mission to repair the satellite.”
In context“The reconnaissance mission was aborted after the pilots detected a malfunction in the primary navigation system.”
Synonyms - 02 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.
Simple“The charity's mission is to provide clean water to every village in the region.”
In context“She made it her personal mission to ensure that every student in the district had access to high-quality musical instruments.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
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.
Simple“He spent three years on a medical mission in a remote part of Africa.”
In context“The church established a permanent mission in the valley to provide both spiritual guidance and basic healthcare to the local population.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
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.
Simple“The trade mission arrived in Tokyo to discuss new export agreements.”
In context“The diplomatic mission was tasked with negotiating a ceasefire before the end of the fiscal year.”
Synonyms - 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
a long or difficult trip that feels like a lot of work.
an arduous or unnecessarily complicated journey or task.
Simple“It was a total mission getting across the city in the heavy rain.”
In context“Finding a parking spot near the stadium on game day proved to be a complete mission.”
UsageOften used with 'a' or 'a bit of a' to describe a frustrating experience.
Usage mission by getting · mission control · mission in the country
“Mike Fincke spent 459 days in space across four missions, the fourth most time of any NASA astronaut.”
“The group, which is yet to make a profit, says it will refocus on its social media mission.”
Learned borrowing from Latin missiō, missiōnem (“a sending, sending away, dispatching, discharging, release, remission, cessation”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.