Definition

1. Noun:
   • An official document issued by a government that confers the rank of an officer in the armed forces: A formal authorization granting an individual the authority and responsibilities of a commissioned officer, such as a lieutenant or captain.

Usage

• A "military commission" is the formal instrument that appoints a person as an officer. It is distinct from an enlistment contract for non-commissioned personnel. Holding a commission signifies a position of leadership and command authority granted by the sovereign power (e.g., the President or monarch).

Examples

• Noun:
  • After graduating from the academy, she received her military commission as a second lieutenant.
  • The framed military commission on the wall showed his appointment date and rank of captain.

Advanced Usage

• "to receive a commission": to be granted officer status via this document.
  • He was proud to receive his commission directly from the general.
• "to hold a commission": to serve in the capacity of a commissioned officer.
  • As an officer holding a commission, he had specific legal responsibilities.

Variants and Related Words

• Commission (n): In a broader context, this can refer to any formal grant of authority to perform a task or duty. In the specific military sense, it is synonymous with "military commission."
• Commissioned officer (n): A person who holds a military commission.
  • Commissioned officers give orders to enlisted personnel.

Synonyms

• Officer's warrant: A less common term for a similar concept.
• Commissioning papers: Informal term for the documents constituting the commission.

Notes on Different Meanings

• "Military commission" as a judicial body: In a completely separate and distinct legal context, the term can also refer to a tribunal set up to try violations of the laws of war (e.g., a Guantanamo military commission). This is a homograph—a different meaning for the same sequence of words. The primary definition provided here is for the document conferring officer rank.

Noun

1. an official document issued by a government and conferring on the recipient the rank of an officer in the armed forces