commitment

[kuh-mit-muh nt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR commitment ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of committing.

the state of being committed.

the act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself.

a pledge or promise; obligation: We have made a commitment to pay our bills on time.

engagement; involvement: They have a sincere commitment to religion.

perpetration or commission, as of a crime.

consignment, as to prison.

confinement to a mental institution or hospital: The psychiatrist recommended commitment.

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

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

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

Stock Exchange.

an agreement to buy or sell securities.
a sale or purchase of securities.

Also committal (for defs 1, 3–11).

Origin of commitment

First recorded in 1605–15; commit + -ment

Related formsnon·com·mit·ment, nounpre·com·mit·ment, adjectiveself-com·mit·ment, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for commitments

pledge, engagement, responsibility, need, promise, guarantee, duty, word, undertaking, liability, charge, vow, must, devoir, committal, ought

Examples from the Web for commitments

Contemporary Examples of commitments

North Korea must show it is serious and prepared to abide by its commitments, particularly concerning denuclearization.
To Free American Prisoners, America’s Top Spy Goes to North Korea
Shane Harris
November 8, 2014
I put my children first, but I always keep my obligations or my commitments.
Q&A With Designer Rachel Roy
Cynthia Allum
November 3, 2014
The US must ensure its honor abroad by abiding by its commitments and standing with its allies.
Rick Perry: America’s Next Top Strategist?
James Poulos
September 20, 2014
Once a woman married, she was expected to leave her other commitments to care for the household and the community.
'Ghostbusters' and the Slow Emancipation of Female-Driven Comedy
Teo Bugbee
August 15, 2014
Gillibrand and McCaskill hope for floor time in September, but have not yet gotten any commitments from Senate leadership.
Congress Finally Moves on Campus Sexual Assault
Tim Mak
July 30, 2014

Historical Examples of commitments

We find the fullness of life not only in options, but in commitments.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
And we find that children and community are the commitments that set us free.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
If I have any commitments today, Corinne, will you please see that they are taken care of?
Weak on Square Roots
Russell Burton
He knew better than she the depth of Solomon White's commitments.
Jack O' Judgment
Edgar Wallace
This refers to his commitments for recusancy, which had been frequent.
Notes and Queries, Number 213, November 26, 1853
Various

British Dictionary definitions for commitments

commitment

noun

the act of committing or pledging

the state of being committed or pledged

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

the referral of a bill to a committee or legislature

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

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

commission or perpetration, esp of a crime

a future financial obligation or contingent liability

Also called (esp for senses 5, 6): committal (kəˈmɪtəl)

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

Word Origin and History for commitments

commitment

1610s, "action of officially consigning to the custody of the state," from commit + -ment. (Anglo-French had commettement.) Meaning "the committing of oneself, pledge, promise" is attested from 1793; hence, "an obligation, an engagement" (1864).