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

When automakers commit to U.S. production, they typically prioritize full-size SUVs, trucks, and premium vehicles that tend to be more profitable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026

To fully commit, Nathan went on a date, as Corey, so that Corey himself could later get a kiss from the woman after the successful high-wire act.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

“Walmart is deciding that they’re not going to discount products. They’re discounting the decision to commit to become a member.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026

You can describe the toppings in magnificent detail or simply promise “lots of toppings!” if you’d prefer not to commit to a particular spread.

From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026

If I commit to this dive, there’s no undoing it.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Goldman’s Solomon said the bank is “highly selective” about the risk it underwrites and the capital it commits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

The stock could face pressure if the chip maker commits to higher spending in the U.S.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

A hawkish BoJ that commits to further rate hikes, and perhaps more importantly, at a faster pace, could lead to the Japanese yen strengthening further, which would likely ripple across global markets.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

“I don’t believe him unless he commits to an actual debate. Invitations are on the table for dates and places,” Hilton said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

He was, he said in an interview in 2008, wrong...in using a metaphor that virtually commits one to writing ideologically.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

A prosecutor usually needs to prove that one of these people committed a criminal act while doing their job, with some intention of benefiting the company.

From Slate ● Oct. 25, 2026

“We are committed to carefully evaluating their findings and taking appropriate action to further strengthen our standards and culture of safety,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

Oxfordshire County Council's Local Nature Recovery Strategy has committed to match fund the fundraiser up to £10,000.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

I met many of the residents within weeks of the disaster, and most were committed to rebuilding.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026

Having composed himself, Helmuth said to the court, “I haven’t committed any crime. All I’ve done is tell the truth.”

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

She has denied committing any offence and is appealing the verdict.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

Since they were writing the part for him, Los Javis asked Guitarrica to sign a contract committing to make the film.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Japan and South Korea issued a joint statement committing to North Korea’s denuclearization.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

The DNA recordings also revealed important information about when cells begin committing to their eventual roles in the body.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

We trot away and I know dozens of Leamy’s boys are committing the deadly sin of envy.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt

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