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commission
com·mis·sion / kəˈmishən/ (abbr.: comm.) • n. 1. the authority to perform a task or certain duties. ∎ an instruction, command, or duty given to a person or group of people: his commission to redesign the building. ∎ an order for something, esp. a work of art, to be produced: Mozart at last received a commission to write an opera. ∎ a work produced in response to such an order. 2. a group of people officially charged with a particular function: the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. 3. an amount of money, typically a set percentage of the value involved, paid to an agent in a commercial transaction: foreign banks may charge a commission. 4. a warrant conferring the rank of officer in an army, navy, or air force: he has resigned his commission. 5. the action of committing a crime or offense. • v. [tr.] 1. give an order for or authorize the production of (something such as a building, piece of equipment, or work of art). ∎ order or authorize (a person or organization) to do or produce something: they commissioned an architect to manage the building project. ∎ give (an artist) an order for a piece of work. 2. bring (something newly produced, such as a factory or machine) into working condition. ∎ bring (a warship) into readiness for active service. 3. (usu. be commissioned) appoint (someone) to the rank of officer in the armed services: [as adj.] (commissioned) a commissioned officer. PHRASES: in commission (of a ship, vehicle, machine, etc.) in use or in service. out of commission not in service; not in working order. ∎ (of a person) unable to work or function normally, esp. through illness or injury. DERIVATIVES: com·mis·sion·a·ble adj. |
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Cite this article
"commission." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "commission." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-commission.html "commission." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-commission.html |
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commission
commission.
1. The documents by which naval officers hold their status as accredited officers in the navy in which they serve. It is normally issued when an officer reaches the rank of sub-lieutenant or its equivalent in other navies. In the case of ‘royal’ navies it is usually issued by the sovereign, and the cases of ‘republican’ navies by either the president or the national naval authority. 2. In the Royal Navy, the period in which a warship is allocated to particular duties which may be in any part of the world. She remains commissioned until she returns to her home, or occasionally another, port to pay off and her company disperses. In the US Navy a ship is commissioned when she is formally turned over after her outfitting and trials and remains in commission until she is placed in reserve or is in a navy yard for a very long time. See also commissioning pennant; letter of marque. |
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Cite this article
"commission." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "commission." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-commission.html "commission." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-commission.html |
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commission
commission n.
1. the authority to perform a task or certain duties. 2. an instruction, command, or duty given to a person or group of people: he received a commission to act as an informer. 3. a warrant conferring the rank of officer in an army, navy, or air force: he has resigned his commission. 4. a group of people officially charged with a particular function: the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. v. 1. give an order for or authorize the production of (something such as a building or piece of equipment). 2. bring (a warship) into readiness for active service: the aircraft carrier Midway was commissioned in 1945. 3. (usually be commissioned) appoint (someone) to the rank of officer in the armed services: he was commissioned after attending midshipman school | (commissioned) a commissioned officer. in commission (of a ship, vehicle, machine, etc.) in use or in service. commissionable adj. |
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Cite this article
"commission." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "commission." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-commission.html "commission." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-commission.html |
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commission
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "commission." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "commission." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-commission.html T. F. HOAD. "commission." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-commission.html |
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Commission
Commissionin the United Kingdom, a committee or advisory body created by Royal Warrant to conduct a special enquiry; in the United States, a committee, advisory board, or governmental department. |
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Cite this article
"Commission." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Commission." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505300365.html "Commission." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505300365.html |
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