. In the United States, a commission appointed by the President, consisting of three members, not more than two of whom may be adherents of the same party, which has the control, through examinations, of appointments and promotions in the classified civil service. It was created by act of Jan, 16, 1883 (22 Stat. 403). [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ F., fr. L. commissio. See Commit. ] 1. The act of committing, doing, or performing; the act of perpetrating. [ 1913 Webster ]

Every commission of sin introduces into the soul a certain degree of hardness. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of intrusting; a charge; instructions as to how a trust shall be executed. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The duty or employment intrusted to any person or persons; a trust; a charge. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A formal written warrant or authority, granting certain powers or privileges and authorizing or commanding the performance of certain duties. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let him see our commission. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A certificate conferring military or naval rank and authority; as, a colonel's commission. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A company of persons joined in the performance of some duty or the execution of some trust; as, the interstate commerce commission. [ 1913 Webster ]

A commission was at once appointed to examine into the matter. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Com.) (a) The acting under authority of, or on account of, another. (b) The thing to be done as agent for another; as, I have three commissions for the city. (c) The brokerage or allowance made to a factor or agent for transacting business for another; as, a commission of ten per cent on sales. See Del credere. [ 1913 Webster ]

Commission of array. (Eng. Hist.) See under Array. --
Commission of bankruptcy, a commission appointing and empowering certain persons to examine into the facts relative to an alleged bankruptcy, and to secure the bankrupt's lands and effects for the creditors. --
Commission of lunacy, a commission authorizing an inquiry whether a person is a lunatic or not. --
Commission merchant, one who buys or sells goods on commission, as the agent of others, receiving a rate per cent as his compensation. --
Commission officer or
Commissioned officer, (Mil.), one who has a commission, in distinction from a noncommissioned or warrant officer. --
Commission of the peace, a commission under the great seal, constituting one or more persons justices of the peace. [ Eng. ] --
on commission, paid partly or completely by collecting as a commision a portion of the sales that one makes. --
out of commission, not operating properly; out of order. --
To put a vessel into commission (Naut.), to equip and man a government vessel, and send it out on service after it has been laid up; esp., the formal act of taking command of a vessel for service, hoisting the flag, reading the orders, etc. --
To put a vessel out of commission (Naut.), to detach the officers and crew and retire it from active service, temporarily or permanently. --
To put the great seal into commission or
To put the Treasury into commission, to place it in the hands of a commissioner or commissioners during the abeyance of the ordinary administration, as between the going out of one lord keeper and the accession of another. [ Eng. ] --
The United States Christian Commission, an organization among the people of the North, during the Civil War, which afforded material comforts to the Union soldiers, and performed services of a religious character in the field and in hospitals. --
The United States Sanitary Commission, an organization formed by the people of the North to cooperate with and supplement the medical department of the Union armies during the Civil War.

Syn. -- Charge; warrant; authority; mandate; office; trust; employment. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Commissioned p. pr & vb. n. Commissioning. ] 1. To give a commission to; to furnish with a commission; to empower or authorize; as, to commission persons to perform certain acts; to commission an officer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To send out with a charge or commission. [ 1913 Webster ]

A chosen band
He first commissions to the Latian land. Dryden.

Syn. -- To appoint; depute; authorize; empower; delegate; constitute; ordain.

n. [ F. commissionnaire. Cf. Commissioner. ] 1. One intrusted with a commission, now only a small commission, as an errand; esp., an attendant or subordinate employee in a public office, hotel, or the like. The commissionaire familiar to European travelers performs miscellaneous services as a light porter, messenger, solicitor for hotels, etc. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. One of a corps of pensioned soldiers, as in London, employed as doorkeepers, messengers, etc. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

3. a uniformed doorman. [ British ] [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ a. Of, pertaining to, or conferring, a commission; conferred by a commission or warrant. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Delegate or commissionary authority. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To commission [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. (Mil.) holding by virtue of a commission a rank of second lieutenant or ensign or above; -- of military officers. Contrasts with noncommissioned. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. given official approval to act; as, commissioned broker.
Syn. -- accredited, licensed, licenced. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. created according to an order; as, a commissioned painting. [ PJC ]

n. 1. A person who has a commission or warrant to perform some office, or execute some business, for the government, corporation, or person employing him; as, a commissioner to take affidavits or to adjust claims. [ 1913 Webster ]

To another address which requested that a commission might be sent to examine into the state of things in Ireland, William returned a gracious answer, and desired the Commons to name the commissioners. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An officer having charge of some department or bureau of the public service. [ 1913 Webster ]

Herbert was first commissioner of the Admiralty. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

The commissioner of patents, the commissioner of the land office, the commissioner of Indian affairs, are subordinates of the secretary of the interior. Bartlett. [ 1913 Webster ]

Commissioner of deeds, an officer having authority to take affidavits, depositions, acknowledgment of deeds, etc., for use in the State by which he is appointed. [ U. S. ] --
County commissioners, certain administrative officers in some of the States, invested by local laws with various powers in reference to the roads, courthouses, financial matters, etc., of the county. [ U. S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F., fr. L. commissio. ] 1. An agent or factor; a commission merchant. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One of a class of attendants, in some European cities, who perform miscellaneous services for travelers. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The office of commissioner. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To deprive of a commission or trust. [ R. ] Laud. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The governmental commision charged with making and enforcing regulations concerning interstate commerce. [ U. S. ] [ PJC ]

a. Not having a commission. [ 1913 Webster ]

Noncommissioned officer (Mil.), a subordinate officer not appointed by a commission from the chief executive or supreme authority of the State; but by the Secretary of War or by the commanding officer of the regiment. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To commission again; to give a new commission to. [ 1913 Webster ]

Officers whose time of service had expired were to be recommissioned. Marshall. [ 1913 Webster ]