committee

American  

[kuh-mit-ee] / kəˈmɪt i /

noun

• committees
  plural

1. 

   a person or group of persons elected or appointed to perform some service or function, as to investigate, report on, or act upon a particular matter.

2. standing committee.

3. Law. an individual to whom the care of a person or a person's estate is committed.

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committee British  

noun

1. a group of people chosen or appointed to perform a specified service or function

2. (formerly) a person to whom the care of a mentally incompetent person or his property was entrusted by a court See also receiver

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Grammar

See collective noun.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• committeeism
  noun
• committeeship
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• committees
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of committee

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Anglo-French; see commit, -ee

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Explanation

A committee is a group of people who come together to work on a project. Members of a committee commit their efforts to accomplishing a particular task, which can be anything from throwing a party to ending a war. You could join the Committee to Protect Groundhogs, Bumblebees and Chickadees (yes, there really is one), or you might aspire to a committee that debates questions of national importance. Committees are often subgroups of larger bodies, and the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Agriculture, which focuses on issues in the farming and poultry industries, is a good example. Committee members become experts on issues in agriculture and the group can then make informed decisions efficiently.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

committee committees

In reply, Brady said that it was not appropriate for her to discuss personal or personnel issues in open committee session.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

“Our confidence rests firmly in Bob Wright’s proven track record,” said Art Winkleblack, Wendy’s board chairman and a member of an independent committee that reviewed Trian’s proposal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

Section 44 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 allows a committee to call people to attend its meetings or to produce documents that are in their possession or under their control.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

The company said Thursday that a committee formed by its board to review the proposal found the offer substantially undervalues the company and doesn’t reflect the value it expects its turnaround plan will create.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

Nor was anyone from either of those two states willing to serve on the committee, which was instructed to report its findings to the full House before the end of the session.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Leaders like Schumer and Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, are likely to resume their leadership of the health and finance committees, respectively.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

A final decision is expected to be made on 24 November, subject to discussions at two city council committees before then.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

Experts like Tbakhi and Geldsetzer are loath to say that younger adults should all get the shingles vaccine—both affirmed that recommendations should be left to committees such as those at the Food and Drug Administration.

From Slate ● Nov. 1, 2026

Independent expenditure committees, on the other hand, have no limits on the size of the donations they collect, as long as they do not coordinate with the campaigns of their favored candidates.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

In January and February, in anticipation of the games, Goebbels had formed organizing committees at the propaganda ministry.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

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Related Words

• board
• bureau
• cabinet
• chamber
• commission
• jury
• panel
• task force

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