commission

com|mis|sion¹ W1S1 [kəˈmıʃən] n

[Date: 1300-1400; : Old French; Origin: Latin commissio, from commissus, past participle of committere; COMMIT]

1.)

a group of people who have been given the official job of finding out about something or controlling something

▪ The Government set up a commission to investigate allegations of police violence.

commission on

▪ the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution

2.) [U and C]

an extra amount of money that is paid to a person or organization according to the value of the goods they have sold or the services they have provided

▪ The dealer takes a 20% commission on the sales he makes.

on commission

▪ He sold cosmetics on commission.

3.)

a request for an artist, designer, or musician to make a piece of art or music, for which they are paid

▪ a commission from the Academy for a new sculpture

4.)

the position of an officer in the army, navy etc

5.) [U] formal

the commission of a crime is the act of doing it

6.) out of commission

a) not working or not available for use

▪ One of the ship's anchors was out of commission.

b) informal ill or injured, and unable to work

7.) in commission

available to be used

▪ The operating theatres will be back in commission next week.

commission ²

commission² v

1.) [T]

to formally ask someone to write an official report, produce a work of art for you etc

▪ The report was commissioned by the Welsh Office.

commission sb to do sth

▪ Macmillan commissioned her to illustrate a book by Spike Milligan.

2.) be commissioned (into sth)

to be given an officer's rank in the army, navy etc

▪ He was commissioned into the Royal Engineers.