1
a
: a specific task with which a person or a group is charged
Their mission was to help victims of the disaster.
b(1)
: a definite military, naval, or aerospace task
a bombing mission
a space mission
(2)
: a flight operation of an aircraft or spacecraft in the performance of a mission
a mission to Mars
c
: a preestablished and often self-imposed objective or purpose
statement of the company's mission
3
: a body of persons sent to perform a service or carry on an activity: such as
a
: a group sent to a foreign country to conduct diplomatic or political negotiations
a member of a trade mission
c
: a team of specialists or cultural leaders sent to a foreign country
served on a mission to improve agricultural methods
4
a
: a ministry commissioned by a religious organization to propagate (see propagate sense 3b) its faith or carry on humanitarian work
… there was a little port called Quinchang, where the fathers of the mission usually landed from Macao, on their progress to teach the Christian religion to the Chinese …—
Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe
b
: assignment to or work in a field of missionary enterprise
c(1)
: a mission establishment
(2)
: a local church or parish dependent on a larger religious organization for direction or financial support
Spanish missions in California
d
missions plural
: organized missionary work
e
: a course of sermons and services given to convert the unchurched or quicken Christian faith
a preaching mission
5
obsolete
: the act or an instance of sending
missioned; missioning
ˈmi-sh(ə-)niŋ 
1
: to send on or entrust with a mission
2
: to carry on a religious mission among or in
1
: of or relating to a style used in the early Spanish missions of the southwestern U.S.
mission architecture
2
: of, relating to, or having the characteristic of a style of plain heavy usually oak furniture originating in the U.S. in the early part of the 20th century
Synonyms
Examples of mission in a Sentence
Noun
Our mission was to recover the stolen plans.
By patient negotiation she succeeded in her mission of averting a strike.
a mission to the moon
a member of a trade mission
Recent Examples on the Web
Michael Kan, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
But with the right gear and know-how a mobile mission during the rut can make for an all-time great deer hunting experience.
—Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024
The command center approach, borrowed from space missions and military operations, is becoming the new norm for high-stakes business maneuvers.
—Sidharth Ramsinghaney, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
The brand’s mission focuses on conscious movement, wellness and community with a strong digital presence.
—Lisa Lockwood, WWD, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mission 
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Noun
The project was mentioned during Thursday’s meeting of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group, which is dedicated to supporting NASA missions to the Red Planet.
—Michael Kan, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
But with the right gear and know-how a mobile mission during the rut can make for an all-time great deer hunting experience.
—Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024
The command center approach, borrowed from space missions and military operations, is becoming the new norm for high-stakes business maneuvers.
—Sidharth Ramsinghaney, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
The brand’s mission focuses on conscious movement, wellness and community with a strong digital presence.
—Lisa Lockwood, WWD, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mission
Dictionary Entries Near mission
Cite this Entry
“Mission.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mission. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationGeographical Definition
Mission
geographical name
Mis·sion
ˈmi-shən
1
city near the Rio Grande in southern Texas population 77,058
2
municipality on the Fraser River in southwestern British Columbia, Canada population 36,426
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