commitment
Americannoun
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commitments
plural
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the act of committing.
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the state of being committed.
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the act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself.
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a pledge or promise; obligation.
We have made a commitment to pay our bills on time.
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They have a sincere commitment to religion.
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perpetration or commission, as of a crime.
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consignment, as to prison.
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confinement to a mental institution or hospital.
The psychiatrist recommended commitment.
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an order, as by a court or judge, confining a person to a mental institution or hospital.
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Law. a written order of a court directing that someone be confined in prison; mittimus.
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Parliamentary Procedure. the act of referring or entrusting to a committee for consideration.
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Stock Exchange.
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an agreement to buy or sell securities.
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a sale or purchase of securities.
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noun
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the act of committing or pledging
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the state of being committed or pledged
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an obligation, promise, etc that restricts one's freedom of action
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the referral of a bill to a committee or legislature
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Also called (esp formerly): mittimus. law a written order of a court directing that a person be imprisoned
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the official consignment of a person to a mental hospital or prison
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commission or perpetration, esp of a crime
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a future financial obligation or contingent liability
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of commitment
Explanation
Making a commitment involves dedicating yourself to something, like a person or a cause. Before you make a commitment, think carefully. A commitment obligates you to do something. Some commitments are large, like marriage. When you take a job, you're making a commitment to show up and do the job well, and your employer makes a commitment to pay you. There are smaller commitments too. If you said you'd meet a friend at six, that's a commitment — show up or your friend will be mad. You also can speak of commitment as a quality. Staying after school for a study group shows your commitment to good grades.
Vocabulary lists containing commitment
Starting Your New Life: Inspiring Words from Commencement Speeches
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"Creativity at Work" and "The Hidden Secrets of the Creative Mind"
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History is made in PA: Clinton's DNC Acceptance Speech
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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:
"This builds on our commitment and core objective to continually enhance our robust safety tools to protect teens."
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
In audio from a 2023 event, Tebow encouraged people who had signed up for additional classes to follow through with the commitment.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026
"Reid and Victor's commitment to exploration, steady leadership, and service to our astronaut corps and our nation have made a lasting impact," said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
Their sincerity and humor come from the cast’s commitment to the mundane, said Ron Oliver, writer and director of many Hallmark films.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Once I made the mental commitment to share my story, more and more speaking opportunities came my way.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “We have a very strong defense agreement with Saudi Arabia, and we will live up to our commitments in that agreement.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
Hunt says players' performances, possible injury concerns, recovery schedule and family commitments can all affect their ability to interact with fans after games.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
Analysts at KeyBanc said it was “unthinkable” how Akamai has grown its AI inference business, that started out with 2 to 5 megawatts of commitments in Oct.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
Faculty “also describe challenges around deadlines due to students’ competing commitments, including frequent requests for extensions and difficulties communicating pro-actively when work cannot be completed on time.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
It was one of those commitments that occurred because of Bloom’s deep-seated dissatisfaction, which often made him profoundly uncomfortable with a lifestyle that seemed much too inherently selfish.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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.
