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

See Examples For:

commitment commitments

Building trust took time, but showing Voltarc our commitment to spotlighting the history and craft of neon convinced the manufacturer to open its doors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

“He was a beacon of light — full of laughter, friendship, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to serving our community,” Gordon told the paper.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

There is a commitment to spend and spend again.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

He later reiterated his commitment to “ensure America remains the undisputed leader, not only in bitcoin and crypto, but also technologies like prediction markets and artificial intelligence.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

I knew nothing about love and commitment or conquering the world.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

In those interviews, he talked about battling stage fright, and the difficulties of balancing touring commitments with family life.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

The group said the homes accounted for about one-third of the planned E1 development and accused the government of trying to advance construction commitments before the vote.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

And about $1 billion of any sale would be subtracted to cover the Dodgers’ future commitments on deferred contracts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

Arya said he expects the company to disclose more about its off-balance-sheet commitments when it reports earnings on Aug. 26.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

Usually this would be when he wanted me to accompany him somewhere, and he was going to tell me, after reviewing his commitments, when and where he wanted me to meet him.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Related Words

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