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to commission

to commission

103 4.4
To ask someone officially to make something or to begin using something
  • verb
  • /kəˈmɪʃən/
  • Formal
translation icon : encargar
  • The two paintings were commissioned to commemorate the generosity of a prison guard named Joseph Cange.
  • commission portraits
  • commission an artist
  • commission a work

So they commissioned a study to do the science.

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Examples

  • After considering several options, the museum commissioned an artist to create a sculpture for the exhibition.

  • So they commissioned a study to do the science.

  • So we commissioned some research to interview them and hear what they really have to say.

  • l'll commission a ship, hire a captain and a crew.

  • We held the same values, and he was commissioning a book from me.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • That surge caused England's National Health Service to Commission an extensive study of youth gender treatment.

  • In 2007, WWF-East Africa commissioned a study of the Mara Swamp.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Let's go back a few years when Elon and SpaceX was commissioned by NASA to bring cargo to the space station.

  • The city commissioned a famous architect to design a new public library.

  • The company commissioned a report to analyze the impact of their new policy on employee satisfaction.

Synonyms

to charge
vsto commission
  • Formal
146 3.3

Give someone a responsibility or task

is more formal and officially authorizes tasks or puts items into active service

Antonyms

70 3.3

To remove someone from their job

22 6.5

To officially take a ship, factory, or machine out of use

Compounds

A U.S. government agency that watches financial markets and protects investors

A United States government agency that regulates radio, television, and internet companies

14 6.0

A panel that tries people for crimes under armed forces law, for example war crimes

A US agency that keeps business competition fair and protects consumers

A United States government agency that licenses and checks safety at nuclear power plants

5 3.9

A group of people who make plans and decisions about how a town or city grows

4 3.9

An official group that organizes and makes sure elections are fair

A former United States government agency that oversaw nuclear energy research and civilian use

2 6.4

An official office that represents one Commonwealth country in another

2 6.1

An independent group of respected experts who study a public problem and give advice

A group at the United Nations that promotes and protects people's basic rights worldwide

1 6.0

A local board that decides how land in a city can be used

1 5.5

A document that makes a person an officer in the armed forces

A former federal agency in the United States that set prices and rules for trains and other transport between states

A United Nations group that oversees international rules and policies about drugs

A United Nations group that works for equal rights for women worldwide

7.4

A small elected group that runs a city government, each member managing one department

A group set up by the UN Economic and Social Council to study and advise on economic or social issues

A United Nations group that helps African countries develop their economies

A UN group that helps Asian and Far Eastern countries develop their economies

An organization in the United Nations that helps European countries work together on economic matters

A United Nations group that helps Latin American countries grow their economies

7.2

A group set up by the United Nations Economic and Social Council to work on a global issue

5.3

A group that makes sure all sides get equal time to speak

A left-wing armed group in Bolivia that brings together small indigenous armed groups and follows revolutionary ideas from the 1960s

A United Nations group that gives advice about population size and growth worldwide

Independent United States agency that recommends prices for mail services

A United Nations group that helps countries reduce poverty and include all people in society

A UN group that coordinates how countries collect and use data

How Official

to mandate
  • Formal
169 4.9
to commission
  • Formal
103 4.4
to authorize
489 4.4
to engage
212 3.2
hire
33 3.0
to ask
1.0

Surface Forms

commission infinitive
commissioned past participle
commissioning present participle
commissions third person singular

Morphology

commission = commit (semi-transparent) = commiss + ion

The meaning of 'commission' as an act of entrusting or authorizing is somewhat derivable from 'commit', but not fully transparent.

Etymology

Commission as a verb comes from Latin com- 'together' and mittere 'to send' and is like giving someone a mission, so to commission someone is to officially send them a task or put something into service.