entry
commission
/kəˈmɪʃən/Official assignment, authority, payment, or authorized work
From Latin com- (with) + Latin mittere (to send).
from Old French commission and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French commission and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French commission and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French commission and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French commission and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English commissioun
from Old French commission and directly
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Old French commission and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French commission and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French commission and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French commission and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French commission and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English commissioun
from Old French commission and directly
+1 more sourcePicture a Roman official handing someone a sealed instruction and saying, in effect, “This task is now in your hands.” That idea sits inside Latin commissiō, built from com-, “together,” and the sending stem behind mittere, “to send.” The same sending family gives us mission, missile, and transmit: a mission sends a person, a missile sends an object, and a transmission sends information across a distance. By the early 15th century, English commission could mean the document proving that authority had been delegated; centuries later, a ship could be “in commission,” actively serving under orders. Then commerce added another twist: by 1725, commission meant the percentage paid to an agent, so a word born from entrusted duty ended up on sales invoices. A commission is therefore both the order sent outward and the reward waiting when the job comes back successfully.
The Story
Picture a Roman official handing someone a sealed instruction and saying, in effect, “This task is now in your hands.” That idea sits inside Latin commissiō, built from com-, “together,” and the sending stem behind mittere, “to send.” The same sending family gives us mission, missile, and transmit: a mission sends a person, a missile sends an object, and a transmission sends information across a distance. By the early 15th century, English commission could mean the document proving that authority had been delegated; centuries later, a ship could be “in commission,” actively serving under orders. Then commerce added another twist: by 1725, commission meant the percentage paid to an agent, so a word born from entrusted duty ended up on sales invoices. A commission is therefore both the order sent outward and the reward waiting when the job comes back successfully.
Modern Usage
In online art communities, a paid request for custom artwork, sometimes specifically adult or fetish artwork
Popularized by: Online artist and fandom communities
Kin & Kindred
From 'com-'·with, together
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'mittere'·to send, let go, dispatch
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary