commitment

American  

[kuh-mit-muhnt] / kəˈmɪt mənt /

noun

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

• noncommitment
  noun
• precommitment
  adjective
• self-commitment
  noun

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

They were “net long” 139,162 gold futures contracts as of last week, according to the most recent Commitment of Traders data published by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

Commitment to a cause or an organization is what motivates people to donate — not the tax breaks, said Erica York, vice president of federal tax policy at the Tax Foundation.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 1, 2025

Commitment could not be questioned here, but Spurs were undone by momentary lapses that always risk the ultimate punishment against PSG.

From BBC • Nov. 26, 2025

Commitment, timing and patience make for a delightfully mature bite.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2025

Commitment to this life means leaving behind your old life as fully as possible.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

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