commission and mission share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. commission means “a special group delegated to consider some matter”. mission means “an organization of missionaries in a foreign land sent to carry on religious work”. mission is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/kəˈmɪʃən/
1.n.a special group delegated to consider some matter
“a committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours”
2.n.a fee for services rendered based on a percentage of an amount received or collected or agreed to be paid (as distinguished from a salary)
“he works on commission”
3.n.the act of granting authority to undertake certain functions
| commission | mission | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /kəˈmɪʃən/ | /ˈmɪʃən/ |
| Said | kuh-MISH-uhn | MISH-uhn |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Letters | 10 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun |
| Senses | 12 | 5 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | committee | missionary post, missionary station, foreign mission |
Full entry for commission · Full entry for mission · More comparisons
/ˈmɪʃən/
1.n.an organization of missionaries in a foreign land sent to carry on religious work
2.n.an operation that is assigned by a higher headquarters
“the planes were on a bombing mission”
3.n.a special assignment that is given to a person or group
“a confidential mission to London”