commission
UK[kəˈmɪʃn]US[kəˈmɪʃn]
n
A group of people officially appointed to investigate or control something.
n
An instruction, command, or duty given to a person or group.
n
A payment to someone for selling goods or services, usually a percentage of the sale.
n
The act of committing a crime or fault.
v
To formally give someone the authority to do something or to make something.
Morpheme Breakdown
com
miss
ion
com
together
miss
send
ion
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'commission' originates from the Latin verb committere, meaning 'to bring together, entrust, or commit', itself a compound of com- (together) and mittere (to send, let go). In Medieval Latin, the noun form commissionem (nominative commissio) evolved, denoting the action of committing, entrusting, or the delegation of authority. This concept of 'sending together' or 'entrusting with a task' passed into Middle English via Old French. The modern meanings—an authoritative group, a task assigned, or a fee for services—all logically stem from this core idea of authority and responsibility being formally entrusted or delegated to someone.
Analysis
Structure: com (together) + miss (send) + ion (noun suffix)
- com: Latin prefix meaning 'together', 'with', or 'thoroughly'. It functions as an intensifier and associative element.
- miss: From Latin mittere (to send), but adapted to the English spelling 'miss' as seen in 'mission', 'dismiss'. It functions as the core root conveying the sense of sending or putting forth.
- ion: A Latin-derived suffix forming nouns of action or condition, indicating the process or result of the verb.
Examples
The government established a commission to investigate the incident.
She received a commission to paint a portrait for the gallery.
He earns a 10% commission on every car he sells.