Origin: Latin suffix -sion
Mission has 8 different meanings across 2 categories:
an organization of missionaries in a foreign land sent to carry on religious work
"The local mission established several community centers to provide education and healthcare for the villagers."
an operation that is assigned by a higher headquarters
"the planes were on a bombing mission"
a special assignment that is given to a person or group
"a confidential mission to London"
"his charge was deliver a message"
the organized work of a religious missionary
"After years dedicated to her mission among the remote tribes, she finally returned home exhausted but fulfilled."
a group of representatives or delegates
"The city council sent a mission to negotiate peace terms with the neighboring tribe."
A set of tasks that fulfills a purpose or duty; an assignment set by an employer, or by oneself.
"After accepting the new mission to reorganize the supply chain before Christmas, she immediately started drafting a timeline for her team."
In plain English: A mission is a special goal or purpose that an organization or group works hard to achieve.
"The school's mission is to provide quality education for every child in the community."
Usage: Use "mission" to describe a specific objective, task, or goal assigned to achieve a particular purpose, such as a rescue operation or a corporate project. Avoid using it interchangeably with casual errands or personal hobbies unless they are framed as serious duties or assignments.
To send on a mission.
"The general ordered his troops to march north and secure the valley before nightfall."
In plain English: To send someone on a specific task or journey to do something important.
"They will not rest until they have finished their mission to save the city."
Usage: Use "mission" as a verb primarily in military or espionage contexts to describe sending someone on a specific task. It is often followed by an infinitive phrase, such as "The spy was missioned to infiltrate the building."
A district municipality of British Columbia, Canada.
"The new community centre was officially opened in Mission last weekend to serve the growing population of that British Columbia district."
The word mission is a learned borrowing from the Latin missiō. Originally, it meant "a sending" or "dispatching."