1An important assignment given to a person or group of people, typically involving travel abroad.

1. 1.1treated as singular or plural A group of people sent on a mission.
   by then, the mission had journeyed over 3,500 miles

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Even a UN security mission sent in to assess the situation had to turn back before reaching Mazar because it was too dangerous to proceed.
   • A joint government-Anglo-Jewish mission was sent out in May 1939 to Africa to assess appropriate settlement sites.
   • He said Indonesia and Malaysia would also form a joint mission to oversee and assess the reports made by the fact-finding mission.

   Synonyms

   delegation, deputation, commission, task force, legation, representation, delegacy
2. 1.2 An organization or institution involved in a long-term assignment abroad.
   the head of the West German mission

   Example sentencesExamples

   • And in the span of a year, 46 nations have established or re-established diplomatic missions or embassies in Iraq.
   • She established the Methodist mission hospital at Ikkadu near Madras, where she also served as a district magistrate.
   • All these factors restricted missionaries consequently they tended to establish missions along the Kavango River and to avoid the interior.
   • Baptists established missions to Aborigines and the urban poor.
   • Christian missions were also establishing school in the region.
   • He was the medical doctor in charge of St. Mary's Hospital, a Catholic mission in Gula.
   • Within a week, he had visited a seventy-five-mile area and established missions in four tribal villages.
   • However, Pearson grew up on a Lutheran mission station.
   • To introduce Indian culture to this crowd, the mission organizes a charity event called as ‘Sakura Bazaar’ each year.
   • On the outbreak of hostilities, diplomatic missions in enemy countries close down and the diplomats depart.
   • At that time Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox missions were established.
   • During the second century, a vigorous Christian mission in North Africa established a large number of congregations for whose use the Greek Bible was translated into Latin.
   • Christian missions established a presence in the late 19th century and continue to play a role in Cameroonian life.
   • In 1996 a small mission hospital called the Good News Hospital was opened in Mandritsara, a market town in the northern interior of Madagascar.
   • By the end of the nineteenth century, both Protestants and Catholics had established missions in the region.
   • The appeal was set up after his most recent visit to the Christian Brothers run mission at Lukulu in Zambia.
   • In 1814 a small Christian mission was established, with little success at first, but progress by mid-century.
   • For a time, these missions became powerful institutions in colonial South America.
   • Those alliances are visible in the very stones and wood of the mission buildings.
3. 1.3 An operation carried out by military aircraft.
   a reconnaissance mission

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Group Captain Oddie said the mission already had aircraft well placed.
   • The military has been using unmanned, ground-controlled reconnaissance aircraft on missions over Iraq and Kosovo.
   • Malaysia has also pledged to send personnel to Indonesia and has provided two military aircraft for rescue missions.
   • I did not see any enemy aircraft on the mission, just a lot of flak over Holland.
   • There have been special operations, bomber, missile and reconnaissance missions at the base over the years.
   • It was the first time since the Vietnam War that Royal Australian Air Force aircraft have flown close air support missions in support of Australian ground troops in a war zone.
   • And with troops missing and a British plane down, several search and rescue missions have been flown.
   • Tony, who'd flown seven combat missions at the time, hadn't faced many threats.
   • There had always been questions as to whether the B-36 could accomplish its assigned mission.
   • The pilot vanished on 31 July 1944 while flying a reconnaissance mission.
   • He and his crew of nine were the first to complete 25 combat missions while operating out of England.
   • These tree skimming aircraft run reconnaissance missions deep into enemy territory, locating and taking out supposed threats.
   • As a special operations weather specialist, he supported combat search and rescue missions that used special operations aircraft.
   • Some KC - 135 aircraft have been configured for other missions, such as reconnaissance and as a flying command post.
   • Five fighters and two bombers were assigned a mission to drop propaganda leaflets on the city.
   • American missions and RAF operations continued in support of the beachhead.
   • So why use strategic airlift assets to carry out an airdrop mission with impact at the strategic level?
   • Air superiority over the battlefield was retained at all times and the Air Force flew effective army co-operation and tactical reconnaissance missions.
   • The A - 50 carries out patrol missions at an altitude of 5,000 to 10,000 metres.
   • The A109M can carry out various missions and operations in hot temperatures and high altitudes.

   Synonyms

   sortie, operation, raid
4. 1.4 An expedition into space.
   NASA has approved a mission to investigate the atmosphere of Mars

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Are the scientific returns on a manned mission to Mars inherently important enough to justify its costs?
   • For the next three years, at approximately six-month intervals, NASA sent more manned missions to the moon.
   • The importance of the mission to the scientific community is due to both the presence and the composition of the atmosphere.
   • Another of NASA's most successful missions today sent back spectacular new pictures of Mars.
   • Compared with the billions squandered on a vague mission in Iraq, a mission to Mars seems cheap.
   • Early tomorrow morning, China will send its second crewed mission into space.
   • China's plans for space exploration include unmanned missions to the moon and Mars in the next decade.
   • Despite that, he said the grounding of future shuttle missions opens the station to risk.
   • Prizes have been proposed for other aspects of space exploration, including missions to Mars.
   • The agreement covers Space Shuttle missions supporting the International Space Station.
   • Next month, NASA hopes to launch one of the most historic space exploration missions it has ever mounted.
   • There is additional evidence that points against China planning near-term manned lunar missions.
   • The two NASA missions are being honored in the Aviation and Space category.
   • The future role of Nasa has been thrown into question by a high-profile report that concludes the agency is not able to send crewed missions to the Moon and Mars on its own.
   • He is a veteran of four space flights and five space walks, including two missions to the Hubble Telescope.
   • If all goes ahead as planned, the orbiter will remain above Mars, once its work is done in 2004, to act as a communications satellite for future missions.
   • The current plan for a human mission to Mars entails nine months of travel time in each direction in addition to one year on the planet itself.
   • I am told that the idea of using this method of designing planetary missions was due to a graduate student - some years ago.
   • It calls for new robotic missions, new space vehicles, and new destinations.
   • One boy asked if NASA would send missions to other planets, such as Mars.

   Synonyms

   journey, voyage, tour, odyssey

2The vocation or calling of a religious organization, especially a Christian one, to go out into the world and spread its faith.

1. 2.1 A building or group of buildings used by a Christian mission.
   a tour of the missions on the California coast

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Economic recovery was painful but rapid, and by 1870 the church had even built its first mission.
   • This same team will be building missions, weapons, and new features for years to come.
   • Security was beefed up across the capital last night, especially around hotels and diplomatic missions, police said.

   Synonyms

   mission post, mission station, missionary organization

3A strongly felt aim, ambition, or calling.