mission
mission — noun
1. a specific task officially assigned to an individual or group to carry out in a
a specific task officially assigned to an individual or group to carry out in a particular place, such as a military operation, a space flight, or a diplomatic assignment.
A UN peacekeeping mission was sent to patrol the border between the two countries.
collocation: peacekeeping mission
Layla trained for two years before her first space mission aboard the International Space Station.
The rescue mission reached the stranded hikers just before the storm hit the mountain.
Wei was chosen for a secret mission that required travelling behind enemy lines.
- assignment
more neutral, used in any work context; lacks the special or official weight of mission
- operation
often larger in scale and military in tone; an operation may contain several missions
- task
more general; a task can be small and routine, unlike a mission
文法句型
mission to + infinitive
用法筆記
Commonly paired with military or aerospace contexts; a mission is assigned and has a clear goal, unlike a general task or job.
常見錯誤
2. a strong personal goal or purpose that someone believes they must achieve, often
a strong personal goal or purpose that someone believes they must achieve, often driven by a sense of moral responsibility or deep commitment.
Helping young people find jobs became Anong's personal mission after she saw so many struggling.
pattern: personal mission + to-infinitive
The team saw it as their mission to protect the local rainforest from being cut down.
Chiara believes her mission in life is to teach disadvantaged children how to read.
Tunde treated the community project as a mission, not just another job to finish.
文法句型
someone's mission + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person or group describing their own strong sense of purpose. Distinguish from sense 1 (OFFICIAL TASK), which involves an external assignment from an authority.
常見錯誤
3. an expression used to announce that a task or operation has been finished succes
an expression used to announce that a task or operation has been finished successfully, often after a long or difficult effort.
After five hours of moving boxes into the new flat, Caleb sat down and grinned, “Mission accomplished!”
informal exclamation after completing a task
The team leader smiled and declared mission accomplished once the last section of the bridge was safe.
Asher looked at the freshly painted room and said, “Mission accomplished!” to his wife.
The charity team finally announced mission accomplished after months of fundraising for the new school.
文法句型
say/declare mission accomplished
用法筆記
Used playfully for everyday tasks as well as serious operations. The phrase became widely known from the 2003 U.S. military announcement aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
常見錯誤
4. a team dispatched to another country to represent a government, organisation, or
a team dispatched to another country to represent a government, organisation, or church, including the physical site where they are based.
The French trade mission opened a new office in Ho Chi Minh City to support local businesses.
collocation: trade mission
Renata joined a medical mission in Kenya that provides free eye surgery to remote villages.
The old stone mission still stands at the edge of the desert, built by Spanish priests in the 1700s.
Chile's diplomatic mission in Pretoria held talks with local government officials about the trade deal.
- embassy
specifically a diplomatic building; narrower and more formal than mission
- delegation
temporary group sent for talks, not a permanent presence like a mission
- outpost
any remote branch or settlement, not necessarily official or diplomatic
文法句型
mission + preposition phrase
用法筆記
Can refer either to the people (the diplomatic mission) or the physical building (the mission church). Context determines which meaning applies.
5. an undertaking, typically a journey or piece of work, that demands great effort
an undertaking, typically a journey or piece of work, that demands great effort and a long period to finish.
Getting the old computer to work again turned into quite a mission for Arjun.
informal: quite a mission
Filing all those tax documents before the deadline was a real mission for the office staff.
informal: a real mission
Lisa described the drive across London during rush hour as an absolute mission.
Finding a parking spot near the stadium during the concert was an absolute mission.
- breeze
informal; something very easy
文法句型
be a (real/quite a) mission
用法筆記
Chiefly British informal use. Not used in formal writing. Avoid in academic or professional contexts.
常見錯誤
mission — verb
1. to send someone to a particular place to carry out a specific task or official a
to send someone to a particular place to carry out a specific task or official assignment.
Christopher was missioned to the capital to negotiate a new trade agreement with the foreign delegates.
passive: be missioned + to-infinitive
The government missioned three geologists to study the volcanic activity in the northern region.
The general missioned Sergeant Layla to deliver the encrypted message to the front line.
Renata was missioned abroad by the foreign ministry to attend the climate summit in Geneva.
文法句型
be missioned + to-infinitive
be missioned + preposition phrase
用法筆記
Very rare in modern English; mostly found in historical or formal texts. The noun form is far more common.
常見錯誤
2. to carry out religious or charitable work among a group of people or in a partic
to carry out religious or charitable work among a group of people or in a particular area, especially as a missionary.
In the 1800s, several European groups missioned among the indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin.
intransitive: mission among + group
The church missioned the region for over a century, building schools and hospitals in remote villages.
Father Tunde missioned among the rural communities of northern Ghana for nearly thirty years.
A group of nuns missioned throughout the island, setting up clinics and teaching farms along the coast.
- evangelise
focuses on preaching and converting rather than humanitarian work
- minister
broader; providing spiritual care to a community
文法句型
mission among + group
用法筆記
Archaic or historical in tone. Almost never used in modern conversation; 'did missionary work' is the usual expression today.
mission — adjective
1. describing a building aesthetic found in the south-western United States, inspir
describing a building aesthetic found in the south-western United States, inspired by the design of early Spanish colonial churches, featuring thick walls, round arches, and red-tiled roofs.
The church in Santa Fe is built in the mission style, with thick white walls and rounded doorways.
attributive: mission style
Asher bought a house with mission arches and a red clay roof, typical of early California architecture.
The hotel was designed with mission archways and a red-tiled courtyard that opens onto the garden.
Mission revival homes became popular across southern California during the 1920s.
- Spanish colonial
broader style category; mission is a subset of Spanish colonial architecture
文法句型
mission + noun
用法筆記
Always used attributively before a noun (mission style, mission architecture). Not used predicatively ('this style is mission').
2. relating to a plain, sturdy style of wooden furniture, usually made of dark oak,
relating to a plain, sturdy style of wooden furniture, usually made of dark oak, that was popular in the United States in the early twentieth century.
The old dining table was made of heavy dark oak in the mission style, with straight legs and no decoration.
attributive: mission style for furniture
Élise found a mission rocking chair at the antique shop and loved its simple, solid build.
The craftsman built a mission bookcase using traditional joinery methods and dark oak planks.
Mission furniture from the early 1900s is now highly valued by collectors at antique auctions.
- Arts and Crafts
broader design movement; Mission is a specific American subset of this style
文法句型
mission + noun
用法筆記
Often called 'Mission furniture' or 'Mission style'. The style is associated with the American Arts and Crafts movement.