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

Etymology

Origin of committee

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

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

Gen. Todd Blanche has a cleared critical hurdle in his bid to be confirmed to the post after swaying Republican holdouts on a Senate committee to advance his nomination for a floor vote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Earlier this week the minister ordered an external review into the incident and he is due to appear before a Stormont committee on Monday.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

It is how the system works, as I know from six years as chairman of an academies oversight committee.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

But a spokesperson for the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation said the committee was “not sure” about the bill’s timeline.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

A committee of Spiritualists negotiated and accepted all the conditions.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Instead of hearing primarily from candidates, voters are bombarded by party committees, super PACs, labor unions, trade associations, advocacy organizations and issue groups.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

More recently, in February 2025, Rep. Sylvia Garcia introduced the act before two House committees, the Judiciary Committee and the Education and Workforce Committee.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

A member from this diversity committee sits on each of the other committees that sift through names that have been put forward.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

To the chairmen of those committees, Sen. Chuck Grassley and Rep. Jim Jordan: What is taking so long?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Between cheerleading, the play, and all of her committees, there’s always a reason for Abby to be late to first period, but she never gets called out.

From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli

Related Words

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