committee
Americannoun
-
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.
-
Law. an individual to whom the care of a person or a person's estate is committed.
noun
-
a group of people chosen or appointed to perform a specified service or function
-
(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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Articles of Confederation (1777)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
After a lawsuit alleged that the DOE failed to follow required Federal Advisory Committee procedures, the team that authored the report was dissolved in early September.
From Science Daily • Jul. 2, 2026
In the 1990s and early 2000s, the Supreme Court heard two such challenges, both brought by the Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee.
From Salon • Jul. 2, 2026
The same day the justices delivered the Watson opinion, they agreed to consider Republican National Committee v.
From Slate • Jul. 2, 2026
"We're going to deliver price stability in the US. That's what this committee has signed up to do," he said, referring to the Federal Open Market Committee that sets interest rates.
From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026
No. "My name is Bryan Stevenson. I'm a legal intern with the Southern Prisoners Defense Committee, and I've been instructed to inform you that you will not be executed soon."
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.
