commit

American  

[kuh-mit] / kəˈmɪt /

verb (used with object)

committed, committing

1. to do; perform; perpetrate.

   to commit murder; to commit an error.

   Synonyms:

   execute, effect

2. to pledge (oneself ) to a position on an issue or question; express (one's intention, feeling, etc.).

   Asked if he was a candidate, he refused to commit himself.

3. to bind or obligate, as by pledge or assurance; pledge.

   to commit oneself to a promise; to be committed to a course of action.

4. to consign for preservation.

   to commit ideas to writing; to commit a poem to memory.

5. to give in trust or charge, especially for safekeeping; consign; commend: Every summer we were committed to babysitters and camp counselors.

   to commit one's soul to God;

   Every summer we were committed to babysitters and camp counselors.

6. to consign to custody.

   to commit a delinquent to a juvenile detention center.

7. to place in a mental institution or hospital by or as if by legal authority.

   He was committed by court order on the recommendation of two psychiatrists.

8. to deliver for treatment, disposal, etc.; relegate.

   to commit a manuscript to the flames.

9. to send into a battle.

   The commander has committed all his troops to the front lines.

10. Parliamentary Procedure. to refer (a bill or the like) to a committee for consideration.

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verb (used without object)

committed, committing

1. to bind or obligate oneself, as by pledge or assurance; devote or engage oneself to a person or thing: If he hasn’t committed after eight years, he’s never going to marry you.

   She is an athlete who commits to the highest standards.

   If he hasn’t committed after eight years, he’s never going to marry you.

idioms

1. com·mit su·i·cide, to intentionally end one’s own life.

commit British  

/ kəˈmɪt /

verb

1. to hand over, as for safekeeping; charge; entrust

   to commit a child to the care of its aunt

2. to learn by heart; memorize

3. to confine officially or take into custody

   to commit someone to prison

4. (usually passive) to pledge or align (oneself), as to a particular cause, action, or attitude

   a committed radical

5. to order (forces) into action

6. to perform (a crime, error, etc); do; perpetrate

7. to surrender, esp for destruction

   she committed the letter to the fire

8. to refer (a bill, etc) to a committee of a legislature

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Other Word Forms

• committable adjective
• committer noun
• noncommitted adjective
• precommit verb (used with object)
• uncommit verb

Etymology

Origin of commit

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English committen, from Anglo-French committer or directly from Latin committere, equivalent to com- “with, together, completely” + mittere “to send, give over”; com-

Example Sentences

The pair refer to the increased celebrity presence at events as a "gateway" to entice casual viewers to commit fully to the sport.

From BBC

Mr. Sherman long worked as a teacher of practical ceramics, but in retirement has committed himself to creating his own fine art and has only just begun to be exhibited.

From The Wall Street Journal

A spokesperson for General Mills, whose cereal brands include Cheerios and Lucky Charms, said the company remains committed to removing certified synthetic colours from all US cereals by this summer.

From BBC

"We're not necessarily committing to launching two missions in 2028," he told a briefing, "but we want to have the opportunity to be able to do that."

From Barron's

The stakes are high for her and anyone else who may be unaware that their tax preparer cut corners or committed fraud — even if it happened decades ago, the court papers said.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• allocate
• charge
• engage
• give
• hold
• invest
• offer
• promise
• send