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
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.
The House Oversight Committee asked Lutnick to testify as part of its investigation into the Epstein case.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
The bill is progressing through the state Legislature and most recently was referred to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
Relatives of jailed Iranian human rights campaigner Narges Mohammadi and the Nobel Peace Prize Committee have called for her to be transferred to adequate medical facilities following a sharp reported deterioration of her health.
From BBC • May 2, 2026
The Federal Reserve held its benchmark rate steady this week in an 8-to-4 vote that was the most divided by the Federal Open Market Committee since 1992.
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
Russ Canan, an attorney with the Southern Prisoners Defense Committee in Atlanta, had volunteered to represent Evans.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
