commend
Americanverb (used with object)
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commends,
present (3rd person singular)
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commended,
past participle, past
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commending
present participle
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to present, mention, or praise as worthy of confidence, notice, kindness, etc.; recommend.
to commend a friend to another;
to commend an applicant for employment.
- Antonyms:
- censure
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to entrust; give in charge; deliver with confidence.
I commend my child to your care.
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to cite or name with approval or special praise.
to commend a soldier for bravery.
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Feudal Law. to place (oneself or one's land) under another's protection so as to become his vassal.
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Archaic. to recommend (a person) to the kind remembrance of another.
verb
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to present or represent as being worthy of regard, confidence, kindness, etc; recommend
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to give in charge; entrust
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to express a good opinion of; praise
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to give the regards of
commend me to your aunt
Synonym Usage
See approve.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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commendablenessnoun
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commendernoun
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overcommendverb (used with object)
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commendableadjective
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commendatoryadjective
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commendablyadverb
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commendinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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commendsimple
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commendssimple
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have commendedperfect
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has commendedperfect
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am commendingprogressive
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are commendingprogressive
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is commendingprogressive
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have been commendingperfect progressive
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has been commendingperfect progressive
Past
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commendedsimple
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had commendedperfect
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was commendingprogressive
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were commendingprogressive
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had been commendingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of commend
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English commenden, from Latin commendāre, equivalent to com- com- + -mendāre, combining form of mandāre; see mandate
Explanation
Have you ever shouted "Bravo!" at the end of a play or cooed "Good boy!" to the dog when he followed a command? Then you know how to commend someone — in other words, to express approval aloud. The most common meaning of commend is "to compliment." You commend someone when you tell them "Well done!" You can even say "I commend you on your hard work." Back in the days of Charles Dickens, commend often meant to put (someone or something) in the hands of someone else for safekeeping. Case in point: David Copperfield was out of luck when his cruel stepdad commended him to the equally cruel schoolmaster Mr. Creakle at Salem house.
Vocabulary lists containing commend
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act II
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I've Been to the Mountaintop" (1968)
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Much Ado About Nothing
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“Their resiliency is so pronounced; it’s special. You’ve been brave and we commend you,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
While controversy surrounds the embarrassingly blurry line between college football and the National Football League, our culture needs to take a moment to commend and steward the glorious tradition of high-school football.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
"Everything has been free and I want to commend the Kano government for this scheme because without it, many couldn't have afforded to marry due to the high cost of living."
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
“We commend their heroic actions, which we believe helped drive the suspect away from the scene and prevent further casualties,” the department wrote in a statement on Facebook.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
“I have to commend you two on all your extra practice. It will come in handy one day, I’m sure.”
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
The cases taken by these seat-of-the-pants sleuths are not always cloak-and-dagger—a potential client of their fledgling detective agency commends them at one point for having found someone else’s lost dog.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Ockenden said she "commends the secretary of state" for "making the right decision from the families' perspective".
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026
In a statement, the management said it "welcomes the release of its editor and commends the courtesy, professionalism, and attentiveness demonstrated by investigators throughout the process".
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2025
Glenn Whipp also commends him for “capturing the writer’s tragic flaws and winning charm.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2024
And he chooses 'twixt death from the foemen's hand, Or death where the deep waves roll; Then he boldly rides up to that rocky strand, And commends to the Lord his soul!
From In the Saddle A Collection of Poems on Horseback-Riding by Various
The reverse side of the Sydney Marathon medal shows a gold and indigo pattern designed by First Nations artist Ambrose Killian, widely commended for its ornate pattern.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Vince Miller, an attorney representing Garrido, commended the Sheriff’s Department for doing “the right thing” in this case.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Von der Leyen commended Sanchez on the "swift handling" of the crisis that saw tens of thousands of people stream into Ceuta from Morocco -- almost all of whom have since left.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
Asked on the BBC's Politics Live programme in April whether he thought the campaign was a good idea, fellow Labour MP Tom Hayes said he commended his colleague for taking it forward.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Tycho had commended Mars to Kepler because its apparent motion seemed most anomalous, most difficult to reconcile with an orbit made of circles.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
During Sharaa's last visit in January, Putin said "much has been accomplished in terms of restoring our interstate relations", commending Sharaa for his "efforts to restore Syria's territorial integrity".
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
Normally primary candidates postpone commending their opponents until after they’ve either won or lost; Mr. Youngkin expresses his before the contest has started.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
Gen. Rob Bonta said in a written statement commending the ruling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2025
The Los Angeles Police Department released a statement commending the protesters for their cooperation and peacefulness, which led to a demonstration "without incident."
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2025
Before commending himself to his destiny, however, the astronaut implored the engineers to execute one more check: a review of the orbital trajectory that had been generated by the IBM 7090 computer.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
