# mission

/ˈmɪʃən/ (US) · /mˈɪʃən/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. a specific task

noun · CEFR B1

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

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

- The astronauts successfully completed their mission to repair the satellite.
- The reconnaissance mission was aborted after the pilots detected a malfunction in the primary navigation system.

### 2. a life goal

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- The charity's mission is to provide clean water to every village in the region.
- She made it her personal mission to ensure that every student in the district had access to high-quality musical instruments.

### 3. religious work

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- He spent three years on a medical mission in a remote part of Africa.
- The church established a permanent mission in the valley to provide both spiritual guidance and basic healthcare to the local population.

### 4. a delegation

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

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

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

- The trade mission arrived in Tokyo to discuss new export agreements.
- The diplomatic mission was tasked with negotiating a ceasefire before the end of the fiscal year.

### 5. a difficult journey

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · British English

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

For teachers: an arduous or unnecessarily complicated journey or task.

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

## Examples

- The team is on a mission to find the lost keys.
- The charity's primary mission is to provide clean drinking water to remote villages in the region.
- Despite the logistical challenges and political pressure, the diplomatic mission successfully negotiated a temporary ceasefire between the two warring factions.

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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.