Synonyms

commit

American

[kuh-mit] / kəˈmɪt /

verb (used with object)

to do; perform; perpetrate.

to commit murder; to commit an error.

Synonyms:

execute, effect
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.
to bind or obligate, as by pledge or assurance; pledge.

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

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

to commit a delinquent to a juvenile detention center.
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.
to deliver for treatment, disposal, etc.; relegate.

to commit a manuscript to the flames.
to send into a battle.

The commander has committed all his troops to the front lines.
Parliamentary Procedure. to refer (a bill or the like) to a committee for consideration.

verb (used without object)

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

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

commit British

/ kəˈmɪt /

verb

to hand over, as for safekeeping; charge; entrust

to commit a child to the care of its aunt
to learn by heart; memorize
to confine officially or take into custody

to commit someone to prison
(usually passive) to pledge or align (oneself), as to a particular cause, action, or attitude

a committed radical
to order (forces) into action
to perform (a crime, error, etc); do; perpetrate
to surrender, esp for destruction

she committed the letter to the fire
to refer (a bill, etc) to a committee of a legislature

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

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”; see origin at com-

Explanation

To commit is to fully dedicate yourself to something. To commit yourself to being the coolest kid on the beach means spending hours at the mall trying on trunks and flip-flops. Commit can also mean "perform an act" — often the kind that can get you in trouble. Just ask anyone who's committed theft, or arson, or vandalism. If you are committing another person, that means you are sending that person to an institution. Someone may be committed to prison, or to a psychiatric hospital for treatment.

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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.

See Examples For:

commit commits committed committing

DAMIEN: USC commit Gavin Williams is the definition of the word elite on defense and offense.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026

Intervention is more likely if the Houthis inflict significant infrastructure damage or commit a mass-casualty attack, but Riyadh’s precise trigger for escalation is unclear.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

BAE Systems unveiled Britain's first sovereign CCA at Farnborough, though London has yet to commit to a procurement decision, leaving the field open to competitors.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

The deal would commit U.S. companies to build nuclear reactors on Saudi soil to generate power.

From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026

I told the congregation that Walter’s case had taught me that the death penalty is not about whether people deserve to die for the crimes they commit.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

He lovingly omits most graphic footage, but commits to approaching his and Adrian’s shared story from a different viewpoint — a remake.

From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026

The move extends mandatory life sentences to anyone who commits the manslaughter of an emergency worker on duty including police, prison officers, firefighters and paramedics.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Otherwise, Berman said, if an out-of-state doctor commits “malpractice or negligence, there’s no recourse for the California patient.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026

Her sister commits her to a mental institution.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

“When someone commits a crime, he is tried, not murdered.”

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

Smith was committed to fighting hate, in all its forms, with art.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

“Furious,” which premieres Monday on Hulu, is technically a serial killer story, since there are multiple murders committed by a single character, but happily that is the least of it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

Tim Waterer of KCM Trade said: "Traders remain somewhat nervy about the scale of the capex being committed, given lingering concerns over how long the return-on-investment phase may take to fully materialise."

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

Britain's backing of Ukraine has been constant since Russia's invasion four years ago, and the UK has committed £25bn in funding, external for the country's war fight.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

What follows is not a plan, but several questions and claims offered for serious consideration by those committed to racial justice and interested in dismantling mass incarceration.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Initially, the family leased their ranch abode—telling People magazine shortly after they moved to Texas that they had wanted to test out the area for a year before committing to buying a property there.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

In June, Google parent company Alphabet announced it would raise up to $80 billion in stock to fund its AI efforts, with Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway committing $10 billion.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

His real-life geniality provides a stark contrast to some of his most famous roles as monstrous men committing equally hideous deeds.

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026

Spain targeted this weakness by committing full-backs to attack.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

“Beats doing nothing out here. Let’s be clear, though. I’m not committing to the Enemy Way Ceremony. But I’ll hear him out at this diagnosis thing.”

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023