‘奉命’ literally means ‘to receive and respectfully carry out an order’. The character 奉 (fèng) conveys reverence, obedience, or dutiful service—often used in formal or official contexts—while 命 (mìng) means ‘order’, ‘command’, or ‘instruction’. Together, they form a compound verb expressing the act of executing a directive from a superior authority, such as a supervisor, government agency, or military command. It is not used for casual requests among peers.

This term carries a formal, slightly literary tone and appears frequently in official documents, news reports, historical narratives, and workplace communication. It implies both obligation and respect—not merely compliance, but conscientious fulfillment of duty. While it can describe actions by individuals or organizations, it rarely occurs in spoken, informal conversation; native speakers typically use simpler alternatives like ‘按照指示做’ or ‘听从安排’ in everyday speech.