commuter
Americannoun
adjective
-
of or for commuting; serving commuters.
a commuter railroad.
-
of or relating to a flight, plane, or airline that carries passengers over relatively short distances and usually serves small communities.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of commuter
Explanation
A commuter is someone who has a lengthy trip to work, usually from a suburb to a city. Some people are lucky enough to work at home or live very close to where they work. Others are commuters: commuters need to commute — travel — to work. Being a commuter isn't easy, because it might take anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours to get from home to work and then back again, both times during rush hour. Usually, a commuter lives in the suburbs and commutes to the city, where many jobs are.
Vocabulary lists containing commuter
Eleven
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The Worst Class Trip Ever
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No Easy Answers: Our Digital World and "Gadgets and Games"
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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.
Commuter trains in the Moscow area were delayed, AFP reporters witnessed, and cars were stuck in long traffic jams on Thursday evening.
From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026
Another feature of the site useful to London commuters is the annual London Commuter Station Rankings, which tells the story of which stations are the best-in-theory to commute from.
From BBC • Dec. 21, 2024
Local jurisdictions could encourage businesses to offer it, like Seattle has done with its Commuter Benefit Ordinance.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 19, 2023
To assist efforts, a spokesperson with the city’s Transportation Department said the Commuter Express bus service will be free beginning Monday.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2023
A Wednesday morning brush fire on the CSX railroad tracks in Barnesville, Maryland, shut down both CSX and Maryland Area Rail Commuter Brunswick Line traffic.
From Washington Times • Apr. 12, 2023
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.
