From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmissionmis‧sion /ˈmɪʃən/ ●●○ W2 noun [countable] 1 air force/army etcPM an important job that involves travelling somewhere, done by a member of the air force, army etc, or by a spacecraft He was sent on over 200 missions before being killed in action.mission to the first manned space mission to Mars US troops taking part in the peacekeeping mission2 jobJOB/TASK an important job that someone has been given to do, especially when they are sent to another place Her mission was to improve staff morale.on a mission scientists on a mission to the rainforest, to study possible medicinal uses of plantsrescue/diplomatic/fact-finding etc mission a group of US congressmen on a fact-finding mission to Northern Ireland3 dutySHOULD/OUGHT TO something that you feel you must do because it is your duty SYN calling, vocation Tom’s mission was to help young people in his local community. His main mission in life is to earn as much money as possible.4 purpose the purpose or the most important aim of an organization The mission of International House is to enable students of different cultures to live together and build life-long friendships. → mission statement5 governmentPGO a group of important people who are sent by their government to another country to discuss something or collect information SYN delegation a British trade mission to Moscow6 religion a) RRreligious work that involves going to a foreign country in order to teach people about Christianity or help poor people b) RRa building where this kind of work is done, or the people who work there 7 → mission accomplished8 → woman/man with a mission
Examples from the Corpus
mission• This is a mission, carried out by people with fire in their eyes.• The French President has sent a mission to the region to try to find a peace formula.• Bush flew bomber missions for the Navy in World War II.• I flew on over 280 combat missions in two wars, so I'm used to danger.• But he knew very well that it was a dangerous mission.• On early missions the insulating foam was painted white so that it matched the rest of the shuttle.• The food missions in Pittsburgh usually serve 750 people per day.• Future missions would collect those rocks and return them to Earth for analyses.• the Galileo mission to Mars• He was immediately sent to Paris. His mission was to negotiate a ceasefire.• Longobardi headed up the Jesuit mission to China.• In that office he translated the old church language about a sense of mission, redirecting it to the nation.• a rescue mission to salvage a satellite• He volunteered to embark on a dangerous secret mission into occupied France.• Equally, each organization will have developed its own sense of its tasks mission and role in relation to others.• He goes on to relate many other such stories, mainly involving apparitions on the mission field.• Their mission is to go to the rainforest to study possible medicinal uses of the plants there.• In this mission, Momich continues to make every effort to be responsive to and sensitive of his neighbors.• The Prime Minister of Canada will be leading a trade mission to India and Pakistan.• A British trade mission has arrived in Moscow.peacekeeping mission• The United Nations peacekeeping mission was a disaster waiting to happen.• Wars begin and end quickly; peacekeeping missions go on for ever.rescue/diplomatic/fact-finding etc mission• Some pass the evening chatting to a Member of Parliament on a fact-finding mission.• He hit upon a rescue mission for himself: freedom bonds.• Only VIPs and foreign diplomatic missions are given permission to utilise such dishes.• But social service officials have warned that even if this latest rescue mission is successful the children could face long-term emotional problems.• A token number of official diplomatic missions is desirable but not essential.• Intermittent radio failure on board the boat also hampered the rescue mission.• They are considered attaches to the diplomatic mission there and are not armed.mission in life• Is each day lived as though you had a mission in life?• His mission in life is to expand the horizons of those around him.• Picton-Howell's main mission in life was to record faithfully the minutes of the many meetings she attended.• My new mission in life is to help educate others.From Longman Business Dictionarymissionmis‧sion /ˈmɪʃən/ noun [countable]1an important job that someone is given to doHer mission was to improve staff morale and output.2the aim of a company or organizationOur mission is to provide quality long-term care to the maximum number of patients.3a trip that a group of people are sent on, for example in order to collect informationHe has just been on a fact-finding mission to China.4a group of people who are sent by their government or an important organization to another country to collect information, have discussions etcThe UN has sent a mission to the area. → trade missionOrigin mission (1500-1600) Latin missio “act of sending”, from mittere “to send, throw” 