Commissioned

Commissioned is the past participle of the verb to commission and is used as an adjective to indicate that something has been created, produced, or approved under the authority of a patron, client, or official mandate. In this sense, a commissioned work—such as a painting, sculpture, musical composition, or architectural project—is produced under contract for a patron or institution. The term also describes people who have received formal authority to perform a duty, notably a commissioned officer in the military, who has been granted a official rank through a formal process.

In naval and aviation contexts, a ship or aircraft is commissioned when it is placed into active service after construction and testing; it is subsequently decommissioned when retired or taken out of active service. In other contexts, commissioning involves a formal contract that specifies scope, budget, timeline, and deliverables, followed by acceptance, delivery, and often a ceremonial handover or unveiling.

The term emphasizes formal authorization and responsibility, distinguishing commissioned work or personnel from informal or casual arrangements. It can carry ceremonial significance in addition to legal or financial obligations, such as a commissioning ceremony for a ship or for a commissioned officer’s oath and induction.

Etymology traces commissioned back to Old French commission and Latin commissio, meaning a sending, entrusting, or delegation of authority.