committed
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of committed
First recorded in 1840–45; commit ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )
Explanation
If you're committed to something, you're pledged or obligated to do it. If you’ve already jumped out of the plane, you’re committed to your skydive — there’s no turning back! When you're committed to a partner as you are in a marriage or a domestic partnership, it means that you're associated with them exclusively and not with anyone else. Often during wedding ceremonies or vow renewals, you will hear the parties recite a phrase confirming that they are committed to each other, such as "I take you...to have and to hold...to love and to cherish, from this day forward, until death do us part."
Vocabulary lists containing committed
Bush's Address on 9/11
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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.
It said it continued to offer "heartfelt apologies" to those affected by malpractice at the home and said it was committed to full transparency in support of any police investigation.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
"The minister has committed to having construction work suspended and to ensuring that a full environmental impact assessment is carried out," they said.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
The company committed $115 million to the program this year, piloting it in Louisiana, Ohio, Indiana, and Texas.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Now a botanist and apothecary, Cadfael aids the local sheriff in solving all manner of crimes committed in and near Shrewsbury Abbey during England’s 15-year civil war known now as the Anarchy.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
“Freddy, she thinks you’re the long-dead Admiral Ashton who committed the rhymes-with-birder of her cubs, and that Miss Lumley here is Pudge, the cabin boy.”
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
