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noun

la commission

errand · commission · fee

Somme versée à une personne pour un service rendu ou une vente réalisée, ou groupe de personnes chargé d’étudier un sujet et de donner un avis.

Definition & meaning

The French word commission is a versatile noun that has several distinct meanings depending on the context:

  1. A Committee or Board: It refers to a group of people officially charged with a specific task, investigation, or administrative function. For example, la Commission européenne refers to the executive branch of the European Union.
  2. Financial Remuneration: In a commercial context, it is a sum of money paid to an agent or salesperson, usually calculated as a percentage of the business transacted.
  3. An Errand or Task: It can refer to a small mission or task performed for someone else. In its plural form, faire les commissions, it is a common way to say "to go grocery shopping" or "to run errands."
  4. The Act of Committing: In a legal or moral sense, it refers to the act of carrying out an action, typically a crime or a mistake (e.g., la commission d'une infraction).
  5. Authority or Mandate: It can represent the power or authority granted to someone to act on behalf of another.

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar:

  • Gender: Feminine (la commission).
  • Plural: commissions.
  • Type: Common noun.

Word Origin: The word originates from the Latin commissio, which comes from the verb committere. The Latin root is composed of cum (with/together) and mittere (to send). Historically, it signified the act of bringing together or entrusting a specific task to someone. This root is shared with the English word "commission."

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

  • For a group/committee: comité , délégation , instance .
  • For errands/tasks: course , tâche , emplette .
  • For payment: courtage , pourcentage , remise .
  • For the act of committing: perpétration , réalisation .

Antonyms:

  • Regarding the act of doing (legal context): omission , abstention .
  • Regarding financial gain (contextual): fixe (referring to a fixed salary rather than a variable commission).

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Examples

Elle fait une commission pour sa mère.noun

She is running an errand for her mother.

Les commissions ont examiné les propositions hier.noun

The commissions examined the proposals yesterday.

La banque prélève une commission sur chaque virement.noun

The bank charges a fee on each transfer.

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