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Commission definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

COMMISSION, n.
1. The act of committing, doing, performing, or perpetrating; as the commission of a crime.
2. The act of committing or sending to; the act of entrusting, as a charge or duty. Hence,
3. The thing committed, entrusted or delivered; letters patent, or any writing from proper authority, given to a person as his warrant for exercising certain powers, or the performance of any duty, whether civil, ecclesiastical, or military. Hence,
4. Charge; order; mandate; authority given.
He bore his great commission in his look.
5. By a metonymy, a number of persons joined in an office or trust.
6. The state of that which is entrusted, as the great seal was put into commission; or the state of being authorized to act or perform service, as a ship is put into commission.
7. In commerce, the state of acting under authority in the purchase and sale of goods for another. To trade or do business on commission, is to buy or sell for another by this authority. Hence,
8. The allowance made to a factor or commission-merchant for transacting business, which is a certain rate per cent. of the value of the goods bought or sold.
Commission of bankruptcy, is a commission issuing from the Chancellor in Great Britain, and in other countries, from some proper authority, appointing and empowering certain persons to examine into the facts relative to an alleged bankruptcy, and to secure the bankrupts lands and effects for the creditors.
Commission of lunacy, is a commission issuing from the court of chancery, to authorize an inquiry whether a person is a lunatic or not.
Commission-officer, in the army or navy, is an officer who has a commission, in distinction from subaltern officers.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a special group delegated to consider some matter; "a committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours" - Milton Berle [syn: committee, commission]
2: a fee for services rendered based on a percentage of an amount received or collected or agreed to be paid (as distinguished from a salary); "he works on commission"
3: the act of granting authority to undertake certain functions [syn: commission, commissioning]
4: the state of being in good working order and ready for operation; "put the ships into commission"; "the motor was out of commission"
5: a group of representatives or delegates [syn: deputation, commission, delegation, delegacy, mission]
6: a formal statement of a command or injunction to do something; "the judge's charge to the jury" [syn: commission, charge, direction]
7: an official document issued by a government and conferring on the recipient the rank of an officer in the armed forces [syn: commission, military commission]
8: the act of committing a crime [syn: perpetration, commission, committal]
9: a special assignment that is given to a person or group; "a confidential mission to London"; "his charge was deliver a message" [syn: mission, charge, commission] v
1: put into commission; equip for service; of ships
2: place an order for
3: charge with a task

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin commission-, commissio act of bringing together, from committere Date: 14th century 1. a. a formal written warrant granting the power to perform various acts or duties b. a certificate conferring military rank and authority; also the rank and authority so conferred 2. an authorization or command to act in a prescribed manner or to perform prescribed acts ; charge 3. a. authority to act for, in behalf of, or in place of another b. a task or matter entrusted to one as an agent for another 4. a. a group of persons directed to perform some duty b. a government agency having administrative, legislative, or judicial powers c. a city council having legislative and executive functions 5. an act of committing something <commission of a crime> 6. a fee paid to an agent or employee for transacting a piece of business or performing a service; especially a percentage of the money received from a total paid to the agent responsible for the business 7. an act of entrusting or giving authority II. transitive verb (-missioned; commissioning) Date: circa 1661 1. to furnish with a commission: as a. to confer a formal commission on <was commissioned lieutenant> b. to appoint or assign to a task or function <was commissioned to do the biography> 2. to order to be made <commissioned a portrait> 3. to put (a ship) in commission

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a the authority to perform a task or certain duties. b a person or group entrusted esp. by a government with such authority (set up a commission to look into it). c an instruction, command, or duty given to such a group or person (their commission was to simplify the procedure; my commission was to find him). 2 an order for something, esp. a work of art, to be produced specially. 3 Mil. a a warrant conferring the rank of officer in the army, navy, or air force. b the rank so conferred. 4 a the authority to act as agent for a company etc. in trade. b a percentage paid to the agent from the profits of goods etc. sold, or business obtained (his wages are low, but he gets 20 per cent commission). c the pay of a commissioned agent. 5 the act of committing (a crime, sin, etc.). 6 the office or department of a commissioner. --v.tr. 1 authorize or empower by a commission. 2 a give (an artist etc.) a commission for a piece of work. b order (a work) to be written (commissioned a new concerto). 3 Naut. a give (an officer) the command of a ship. b prepare (a ship) for active service. 4 bring (a machine, equipment, etc.) into operation. Phrases and idioms: commission-agent a bookmaker. commission of the peace 1 Justices of the Peace. 2 the authority given to them. in commission (of a warship etc.) manned, armed, and ready for service. out of commission (esp. of a ship) not in service, not in working order. Royal Commission 1 a commission of inquiry appointed by the Crown at the instance of the Government. 2 a committee so appointed. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L commissio -onis (as COMMIT)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Factorage Fac"tor*age, n. [Cf. F. factorage.] The allowance given to a factor, as a compensation for his services; -- called also a commission.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Commission Com*mis"sion, n. [F., fr. L. commissio. See Commit.] 1. The act of committing, doing, or performing; the act of perpetrating. Every commission of sin introduces into the soul a certain degree of hardness. --South. 2. The act of intrusting; a charge; instructions as to how a trust shall be executed. 3. The duty or employment intrusted to any person or persons; a trust; a charge. 4. A formal written warrant or authority, granting certain powers or privileges and authorizing or commanding the performance of certain duties. Let him see our commission. --Shak. 5. A certificate conferring military or naval rank and authority; as, a colonel's commission. 6. A company of persons joined in the performance of some duty or the execution of some trust; as, the interstate commerce commission. A commission was at once appointed to examine into the matter. --Prescott. 7. (Com.) (a) The acting under authority of, or on account of, another. (b) The thing to be done as agent for another; as, I have three commissions for the city. (c) The brokerage or allowance made to a factor or agent for transacting business for another; as, a commission of ten per cent on sales. See Del credere. Commission of array. (Eng. Hist.) See under Array. Commission of bankruptcy, a commission appointing and empowering certain persons to examine into the facts relative to an alleged bankruptcy, and to secure the bankrupt's lands and effects for the creditors. Commission of lunacy, a commission authorizing an inquiry whether a person is a lunatic or not. Commission merchant, one who buys or sells goods on commission, as the agent of others, receiving a rate per cent as his compensation. Commission, or Commissioned, officer (Mil.), one who has a commission, in distinction from a noncommissioned or warrant officer. Commission of the peace, a commission under the great seal, constituting one or more persons justices of the peace. [Eng.] To put a vessel into commission (Naut.), to equip and man a government vessel, and send it out on service after it has been laid up; esp.,

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Commission Com*mis"sion, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Commissioned; p. pr & vb. n. Commissioning.] 1. To give a commission to; to furnish with a commission; to empower or authorize; as, to commission persons to perform certain acts; to commission an officer. 2. To send out with a charge or commission. A chosen band He first commissions to the Latian land. --Dryden. Syn: To appoint; depute; authorize; empower; delegate; constitute; ordain.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(commissions, commissioning, commissioned) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If you commission something or commission someone to do something, you formally arrange for someone to do a piece of work for you. The Ministry of Agriculture commissioned a study into low-input farming... You can commission them to paint something especially for you. ...specially commissioned reports. VERB: V n, V n to-inf, V-ed • Commission is also a noun. He approached John Wexley with a commission to write the screenplay of the film. N-VAR 2. A commission is a piece of work that someone is asked to do and is paid for. Just a few days ago, I finished a commission. N-COUNT 3. Commission is a sum of money paid to a salesperson for every sale that he or she makes. If a salesperson is paid on commission, the amount they receive depends on the amount they sell. The salesmen work on commission only... He also got a commission for bringing in new clients. N-VAR: oft on N 4. If a bank or other company charges commission, they charge a fee for providing a service, for example for exchanging money or issuing an insurance policy. (BUSINESS) Sellers pay a fixed commission fee. 5. A commission is a group of people who have been appointed to find out about something or to control something. The authorities have been asked to set up a commission to investigate the murders. ...the Press Complaints Commission. N-COUNT-COLL 6. If a member of the armed forces receives a commission, he or she becomes an officer. He accepted a commission as a naval officer. N-COUNT 7. If something, for example a ship or a piece of equipment, is out of commission, it is broken and cannot be used until it is repaired. The operator expects the ship to be out of commission until the end of September. PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR after v 8. see also High Commission

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Perpetration. 2. Warrant of authority. 3. Trust, charge, office, care, duty, task, employment, errand. 4. Allowance, fee, compensation. 5. Delegation, body of commissioners. II. v. a. 1. Authorize, empower, give a commission to. 2. Depute, delegate, send on a commission.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

A shirt. Cant.

Moby Thesaurus

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