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:
“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
We commend Mary Marslender for her dedicated advocacy on behalf of patients with disabilities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
"I commend Police Scotland's actions to maintain order and people will be brought to justice," he added.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
“We are grateful that the family is safe and commend our officers for their swift response,” the department said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026
“Fadi jaan, I commend you for your desire to find Mariam,” said Habib softly.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
"More generally, the SNP welcomes the verdict against Mr Linden and commends the bravery of the individuals who came forward and shared their experiences with the police."
From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026
There is an amiability to Mr. Dale’s voice, though, that commends him both to the ear and to the material.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025
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
No single characteristic of conversation, perhaps, so universally commends the possessor to the favor of society, as cheerfulness.
From The American Gentleman's Guide to Politeness and Fashion or, Familiar Letters to his Nephews by Lunettes, Henry
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
Later that year, he was commended for withdrawing encircled Ukrainian units from a border area of the Luhansk region.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
At Birmingham Children's Hospital he commended the work of the WellChild charity, of which he is a patron, and which works with children with complex medical needs and supports their families.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Danielle Allen is to be commended for her own act of resistance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
The staff noted that he was reserved and quiet and tended to keep to himself, but they commended him for limiting his interactions “so that he is not drawn into too much negativity.”
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
Around a week later while speaking to steelworkers in Georgia, Trump praised the PC maker’s chief executive, commending Michael Dell and his wife for jump-starting the ‘Trump Accounts’ program.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
He even shouted out Our Lady of Guadalupe’s feast day, commending the “steadfast devotion to Mary that originated in the heart of Mexico.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2025
This leaves us torn between wanting to make jokes about her for not knowing this was in the bill or commending her for owning up to it and appropriately criticizing it.
From Slate ● Jun. 7, 2025
While commending the fact that these issues are finally being treated seriously, Mr Fotheringham believes it will take years to drag Australia out of a housing crisis that has been building for decades.
From BBC ● Apr. 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.
