commit

[ kuh-mit ]

/ kəˈmɪt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: commit / committed / committing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), com·mit·ted, com·mit·ting.

to do; perform; perpetrate: to commit murder; to commit an error.

to pledge (oneself) to a position on an issue or question; express (one's intention, feeling, etc.): Asked if he was a candidate, he refused to commit himself.

to bind or obligate, as by pledge or assurance; pledge: to commit oneself to a promise; to be committed to a course of action.

to consign for preservation: to commit ideas to writing; to commit a poem to memory.

to give in trust or charge, especially for safekeeping; consign; commend: to commit one's soul to God;Every summer we were committed to babysitters and camp counselors.

to consign to custody: to commit a delinquent to a juvenile detention center.

to place in a mental institution or hospital by or as if by legal authority: He was committed by court order on the recommendation of two psychiatrists.

to deliver for treatment, disposal, etc.; relegate: to commit a manuscript to the flames.

to send into a battle: The commander has committed all his troops to the front lines.

Parliamentary Procedure. to refer (a bill or the like) to a committee for consideration.

verb (used without object), com·mit·ted, com·mit·ting.

to bind or obligate oneself, as by pledge or assurance; devote or engage oneself to a person or thing: She is an athlete who commits to the highest standards.If he hasn’t committed after eight years, he’s never going to marry you.

OTHER WORDS FOR commit

1 carry out, effect, execute.

See synonyms for commit on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

SPRINT TO THE FINISH WITH THIS OLYMPICS QUIZ!

Compete in our Olympics quiz to see if you can take home the gold medal in Olympics knowledge.

Question 1 of 10

Where was the Olympics first held?

ancient Rome

ancient Greece

ancient Persia

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Idioms about commit

com·mit su·i·cide, to intentionally end one’s own life.See Usage note at suicide.

Origin of commit

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English committen, from Anglo-French committer or directly from Latin committere, equivalent to com- “with, together, completely” + mittere “to send, give over”; see origin at com-

OTHER WORDS FROM commit

com·mit·ta·ble, adjectivecom·mit·ter, nounnon·com·mit·ted, adjectivepre·com·mit, verb (used with object), pre·com·mit·ted, pre·com·mit·ting.

un·com·mit, verb, un·com·mit·ted, un·com·mit·ting.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use commit in a sentence

To Koch, “that’s just a great data point that people are committed.”
The 21 best stocks to buy for 2021|Anne Sraders|November 20, 2020|Fortune
Of the $454 billion pot allotted from the Treasury Department under the Cares Act, only $195 billion has been specifically committed to cover any losses the Fed might take through its programs, including through loans that companies fail to repay.
Treasury Secretary Mnuchin cuts off several Federal Reserve emergency aid programs, sparking unusual rebuke from Fed|Rachel Siegel, Jeff Stein|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
While Metro has committed to having a “zero-emissions” fleet, it has not announced a timetable.
Metro board approves budget cuts, buyouts as pandemic dents agency’s budget|Justin George|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
They’re committed to the communities they’ve made and joined — connections that can outweigh concerns about the company.
Why it’s easy to hate Facebook but hard to leave|Heather Kelly|November 19, 2020|Washington Post

So last year, we finally committed to a date and visited for a week.
Miss Manners: Family visit becomes one big project|Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin, Jacobina Martin|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
A new reality series spotlights the extent people will go to impress a crush—from pretending to be deaf to committing theft.
‘My Crazy Love’ Reveals the Craziest Lies People Tell for Love|Kevin Fallon|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
La Barbie videotaped himself in the act of committing atrocities and mailed the evidence to The Dallas Morning News.
Trading Dime Bags for Salvador Dali|Jason McGahan|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In this other video, 29-year-old Crawford is not committing an atrocity such as might be expected of ISIS.
ISIS Has a Bigger Coalition Than We Do|Michael Daly|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Keen on enjoying her youth, Reign has little interest in committing right now.
Swipe Right For Sex: Mixxxer Is Tinder for the Porn Star Set|Aurora Snow|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Eight months later, Rivers considered committing suicide herself.
Joan Rivers's Trailblazing, Troubled, and Complicated Role in Late-Night TV|Kevin Fallon|September 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He learned the series by heart without any suspicion that he was committing it to memory.
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
But I cannot imagine myself committing suicide—talk about ugly words!
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
How near to the husband must she be when committing a wrong to render him liable and escape herself.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
A husband cannot chastise his wife, but he may use force to restrain her from committing a violent criminal wrong.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
The first three days passed without either group committing itself.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey

British Dictionary definitions for commit

commit

/ (kəˈmɪt) /

verb -mits, -mitting or -mitted (tr)

to hand over, as for safekeeping; charge; entrustto commit a child to the care of its aunt

commit to memory to learn by heart; memorize

to confine officially or take into custodyto commit someone to prison

(usually passive) to pledge or align (oneself), as to a particular cause, action, or attitudea committed radical

to order (forces) into action

to perform (a crime, error, etc); do; perpetrate

to surrender, esp for destructionshe committed the letter to the fire

to refer (a bill, etc) to a committee of a legislature

Derived forms of commit

committable, adjectivecommitter, noun

Word Origin for commit

C14: from Latin committere to join, from com- together + mittere to put, send

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

Medical definitions for commit

commit

[ kə-mĭt′ ]

To place officially in confinement or custody, as in a mental health facility.

commit

OTHER WORDS FOR commit

Idioms about commit

Origin of commit

OTHER WORDS FROM commit

Words related to commit

How to use commit in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for commit

Derived forms of commit

Word Origin for commit

Medical definitions for commit