commitment

American  

[kuh-mit-muhnt] / kəˈmɪt mənt /

noun

commitments plural

1. the act of committing.

2. the state of being committed.

3. the act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself.

4. a pledge or promise; obligation.

   We have made a commitment to pay our bills on time.

5. dedication; allegiance.

   They have a sincere commitment to religion.

6. perpetration or commission, as of a crime.

7. consignment, as to prison.

8. confinement to a mental institution or hospital.

   The psychiatrist recommended commitment.

9. an order, as by a court or judge, confining a person to a mental institution or hospital.

10. Law. a written order of a court directing that someone be confined in prison; mittimus.

11. Parliamentary Procedure. the act of referring or entrusting to a committee for consideration.

12. Stock Exchange.

    1. an agreement to buy or sell securities.

    2. a sale or purchase of securities.

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commitment British  

/ kəˈmɪtmənt /

noun

1. the act of committing or pledging

2. the state of being committed or pledged

3. an obligation, promise, etc that restricts one's freedom of action

4. the referral of a bill to a committee or legislature

5. Also called (esp formerly): mittimus.  law a written order of a court directing that a person be imprisoned

6. the official consignment of a person to a mental hospital or prison

7. commission or perpetration, esp of a crime

8. a future financial obligation or contingent liability

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noncommitment
  noun
• self-commitment
  noun
• precommitment
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• commitments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of commitment

First recorded in 1605–15; commit + -ment

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.

Example Sentences

These developments stemmed from the goal of strengthening Americans’ religious commitment amid the conflict and competition of the early Cold War.

From Salon • Jun. 29, 2026

But the Berkeley institute will be her most ambitious academic commitment.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026

It would help if Mexico and Canada displayed a deeper commitment to preserving and deepening continental free trade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026

Jarvis also repeated the government's commitment to publishing the DIP before the Nato summit in July.

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2026

It would take commitment and organization to make all this happen, I knew, but that was exactly the kind of work I liked.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• engagement
• guarantee
• need
• pledge
• promise
• responsibility