commission
commission — verb
1. to select a person or company and pay them to create something according to your
to select a person or company and pay them to create something according to your instructions, such as a painting, a building design, or a research report
The museum commissioned a local artist to paint a mural for the new exhibition hall.
commission + person + to-infinitive
The government has commissioned a study on the effects of noise pollution in cities.
passive: has been commissioned
Kofi spent two years on the portrait he was commissioned to paint for the university.
commissioned to paint (passive with purpose)
The film director commissioned a young composer to write the soundtrack for her new movie.
- commission an architect
- commission a study
- commission a portrait
- commission a piece of music
- commission a report
- cancel
to call off a previously commissioned piece of work
Grammar Patterns
commission + person + to-infinitive
commission + work
Usage Note
Frequently used in the passive when the focus is on the person receiving the work. The subject is often an institution (museum, government, company) or a wealthy individual.
Common Mistakes
2. to formally appoint someone to a military position such as lieutenant or captain
to formally appoint someone to a military position such as lieutenant or captain, giving them the authority that comes with that rank
After completing the training programme, Diego was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the navy.
passive: be commissioned as [rank]
The army commissioned twelve new officers during the graduation ceremony last Friday.
commission + number + officers
Priya hopes to be commissioned after she finishes her military academy studies next summer.
During the conflict, several experienced soldiers were directly commissioned as officers without attending the academy.
directly commissioned (accelerated appointment)
- commission as an officer
- commission into the army
- newly commissioned
- directly commissioned
- discharge
to remove someone from military service
Grammar Patterns
commission + person + as + rank
Usage Note
Almost always passive or reflexive in meaning. Only used for military contexts; not used for police, fire departments, or corporate ranks.
Common Mistakes
commission — noun
1. a team of individuals chosen by an authority to look into a problem, collect fac
a team of individuals chosen by an authority to look into a problem, collect facts, or suggest solutions
The European Commission proposed new rules to protect consumer data online.
proper noun: European Commission
A special commission was set up to investigate the causes of the factory explosion.
set up / establish a commission
The city planning commission meets every month to discuss new building projects.
Yara served on the health commission for five years before becoming its chairperson.
serve on a commission
- set up a commission
- establish a commission
- serve on a commission
- head a commission
- appoint a commission
- planning commission
- election commission
- health commission
Usage Note
Takes a singular or plural verb depending on whether the group is seen as a single unit ('the commission has decided') or as individuals ('the commission have disagreed').
Common Mistakes
2. money paid to a salesperson, agent, or company that is calculated as a percentag
money paid to a salesperson, agent, or company that is calculated as a percentage of the value of the goods or services that they sell
Real estate agents earn a commission of about five percent on each house they sell.
collocation: earn a commission on [product]
Tomás works on commission, so his monthly income changes from month to month.
work on commission (payment system)
The sales team received a generous commission for selling two hundred cars in one quarter.
receive a commission for [achievement]
Nina gets a ten percent commission on every insurance policy she sells to new customers.
- earn a commission
- pay a commission
- commission on sales
- work on commission
- charge a commission
- commission rate
- sales commission
- percentage
refers only to the rate, not the actual money paid
- cut
informal; a share of profits or earnings
- kickback
negative connotation; implies illegal or unethical payment
- salary
fixed regular payment, not tied to sales performance
Grammar Patterns
commission on + product/service
Usage Note
Uncountable when referring to the payment system ('she works on commission') and countable when referring to a specific payment ('she earned three commissions this month').
Common Mistakes
3. a formal request made to a creative professional, such as an artist or writer, a
a formal request made to a creative professional, such as an artist or writer, asking them to produce something and promising to pay them for it
The architect received a commission to design a new public library in the town centre.
collocation: receive a commission to [verb]
Kofi's latest commission was a series of sculptures for a private collector in Tokyo.
The composer wrote the symphony as a commission from the national orchestra.
as a commission from [institution]
Hana turned down several small commissions so she could focus on her own painting style.
turn down a commission
- receive a commission
- give someone a commission
- accept a commission
- complete a commission
- private commission
- public commission
- assignment
less formal; can apply to any task, not just creative work
- project
broader; does not imply a formal request from a client
- contract
focuses on the legal agreement rather than the creative request
Grammar Patterns
commission + to-infinitive
Usage Note
Closely related to verb sense 1 (REQUEST WORK). When 'commission' is a noun, the focus is on the project itself; when it is a verb, the focus is on the act of requesting it.
Common Mistakes
4. the carrying out of an illegal action; the fact that someone has done something
the carrying out of an illegal action; the fact that someone has done something against the law
The police are investigating the commission of several serious crimes in the area.
collocation: the commission of [crime]
The court heard detailed evidence about the commission of the fraud over a five-year period.
The new law increases the penalties for the commission of drug-related offences.
penalties for the commission of [offence]
Witnesses described the commission of the robbery in great detail during the trial.
- the commission of a crime
- the commission of an offence
- during the commission of
- prevent the commission of
- perpetration
more formal; emphasizes the carrying out of a harmful or criminal act
- execution
broader; can apply to any plan, not just crimes
- prevention
stopping a crime before it happens
Grammar Patterns
the commission of + crime/offence
Usage Note
Almost always used in formal legal writing or court language. In everyday speech, people say 'committing a crime' rather than 'the commission of a crime'. The word is uncountable and typically followed by 'of + crime/offence'.
Common Mistakes
5. a formal paper that grants a person the rank and duties of a military leader suc
a formal paper that grants a person the rank and duties of a military leader such as a captain or colonel, together with the position this rank brings
Upon receiving his commission, Rohan was assigned to a unit stationed near the border.
receive a commission (military appointment)
Nadia holds a commission as an air force captain and has served ten years.
hold a commission as [rank]
The young officer resigned his commission after twelve years of active service.
resign a commission
A commission in the royal navy requires several years of specialised training and exams.
- receive a commission
- hold a commission
- resign a commission
- grant a commission
- commission in the army/navy/air force
- appointment
broader; applies to any official position, not just military
- rank
the level of authority itself rather than the formal document conferring it
- enlistment
joining the military as a non-officer (enlisted personnel)
Grammar Patterns
hold a commission
commission as/in + branch
Usage Note
Closely related to verb sense 2 (MAKE OFFICER). When used as a noun, the focus is on the rank and document itself. Contrast with 'enlistment', which refers to joining as a non-officer (enlisted personnel).
Common Mistakes
in commission
idiomavailable for use; working or operating normally, especially for a ship, machine, or piece of equipment
The ferry was back in commission after two weeks of repairs at the dock.
Only three of the six generators are currently in commission because of a fuel shortage.
out of commission
idiomnot available for use; broken or temporarily not working
My car has been out of commission since the accident last month, so I am taking the bus.
The elevator is out of commission again, so we had to walk up twelve flights of stairs.
in/out of commission
idiomWorking or not working; available or unavailable for use.
The elevator is out of commission, so we must use the stairs.
Is the old printer still in commission for emergency use?
Word family
- commissionernounB2
- commissionedadjectiveB2
- noncommissionedadjectiveC1
- commissioningnounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/2
All four words describe types of payment, but they differ in how and when the payment is earned. A commission is a percentage of the sale value paid to a salesperson or agent — it only exists when a sale happens. A fee is a fixed amount charged for a professional service, such as a doctor's consultation or a lawyer's advice, and is not tied to a transaction's value. A royalty is a payment made to the owner of intellectual property (a writer, musician, or inventor) each time their work is used or sold — for example, an author earns a royalty on every copy of their book sold. A bonus is extra money given on top of a regular salary, often as a reward for good performance or at the end of the year. To illustrate: a car salesperson earns a commission when they sell a car; the doctor charges a fee for the check-up; the songwriter collects a royalty when the song plays on the radio; and the employee receives a bonus at Christmas for a year of hard work.
Common collocations
Nouns
- sales
- agent
- officer
- report
Adverbs
- directly
- indirectly
Phrases
- in commission
- out of commission
- on commission
- commission of a crime
Prepositions
- on
- for
- by
- as
Etymology
The word 'commission' comes from Latin 'commissio', which means 'the act of entrusting'. This Latin word is formed from 'com-' (together) and 'mittere' (to send). It passed into English through Old French in the 14th century. The earliest meanings in English were about giving authority or entrusting a task to someone. The sense of 'a group appointed to investigate' appeared in the 15th century. The business meaning of 'payment based on sales' developed in the 18th century.