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/keuh mish"euhn/, n.1. the act of committing or giving in charge.2. an authoritative order, charge, or direction.3. authority granted for a particular action or function.4. a document granting such authority.5. a document conferring authority issued by the president of the U.S. to officers in the Army, Navy, and other military services, and by state governments to justices of the peace and others.6. the power thus granted.7. the position or rank of an officer in any of the armed forces.8. a group of persons authoritatively charged with particular functions: a parks commission.9. the condition of being placed under special authoritative responsibility or charge.10. a task or matter committed to one's charge; official assignment: The architect received a commission to design an office building.11. the act of committing or perpetrating a crime, error, etc.: The commission of a misdemeanor is punishable by law.12. something that is committed.13. authority to act as agent for another or others in commercial transactions.14. a sum or percentage allowed to agents, sales representatives, etc., for their services: to work on a 20 percent commission.15. in commission,a. in service.b. in operating order: A great deal of work will be necessary to put this car in commission again.c. Also, into commission. Navy. (of a ship) manned and in condition for or ordered to active service.16. on commission, paid entirely or partially with commissions from sales one has made or for work one has done: The salespeople who are on commission earn 6 percent of the total amount they sell.17. out of commission,a. not in service.b. not in operating order: The stove is out of commission.v.t.18. to give a commission to: to commission a graduate of a military academy.19. to authorize; send on a mission.20. to give the order that places a warship, military command, etc., in a state of complete readiness for active duty.21. to give a commission or order for: The owners commissioned a painting for the building's lobby.[1300-50; ME ( < AF) < L commission- (s. of commissio) a committing. See COM-, MISSION, COMMIT]
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(as used in expressions)High Commission Court ofPresident's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy* * *
in political science, a multiheaded body created to perform a particular function, whether it be administrative, legislative, or judicial in nature. In the United Kingdom commissions are mostly used for special investigations and are distinguished according to their terms of appointment as royal, statutory, or departmental. In general these are appointed for a particular purpose when it is desired that an administrative body (the commission) be independent of the government department concerned. Investigating commissions are less frequently employed in the United States, where their functions are largely performed by legislative committees. In the United States most commissions are charged with the execution or enforcement of statutes. The most important commissions are vested with regulatory powers and are known as regulatory agencies (see regulatory agency).Some American cities and towns are administered by an elected commission, usually consisting of three, five, or seven commissioners. Each commissioner serves as the head of one or more departments. In most cities, however, the commission system has given way to the council–manager system. Commission systems are still widely used to govern specific aspects of local government, such as parks, schools, water, and airports. This administrative method is especially popular for public-school systems, where the commission itself may appoint a professional administrator. The commission form is also used in such state agencies as utility commissions, worker's compensation boards, boards of health and education, and unemployment compensation commissions.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
