committee
Americannoun
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a person or group of persons elected or appointed to perform some service or function, as to investigate, report on, or act upon a particular matter.
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Law. an individual to whom the care of a person or a person's estate is committed.
noun
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a group of people chosen or appointed to perform a specified service or function
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(formerly) a person to whom the care of a mentally incompetent person or his property was entrusted by a court See also receiver
Grammar
See collective noun.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of committee
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Anglo-French; see commit, -ee
Explanation
A committee is a group of people who come together to work on a project. Members of a committee commit their efforts to accomplishing a particular task, which can be anything from throwing a party to ending a war. You could join the Committee to Protect Groundhogs, Bumblebees and Chickadees (yes, there really is one), or you might aspire to a committee that debates questions of national importance. Committees are often subgroups of larger bodies, and the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Agriculture, which focuses on issues in the farming and poultry industries, is a good example. Committee members become experts on issues in agriculture and the group can then make informed decisions efficiently.
Vocabulary lists containing committee
Send a Message: Mit and Miss
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The Articles of Confederation (1777)
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List 1
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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.
Committee chairman councillor Richard Udall raised concerns about the impact on passengers, warning that higher fares might reduce demand and push customers toward cheaper options.
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026
The least interesting aspect of Wednesday’s Federal Open Market Committee will be its decision on interest rates.
From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026
In 2020, Collins emphasized during her campaign that she was in line to be the next chair of the Appropriations Committee, a title she assumed at the beginning of 2025.
From Slate • Jun. 16, 2026
Fortunately, there is a straightforward way to get clarity about your adviser: Ask them to sign a fiduciary pledge, such as the Fiduciary Oath created by the Committee for the Fiduciary Standard.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026
At his urging, Silas Deane, a Connecticut delegate to the Continental Congress, was sent to Paris in 1776 by the Committee of Secret Correspondence.
From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen
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.
