commit

American  

[kuh-mit] / kəˈmɪt /

verb (used with object)

• commits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• committed,
  past participle,  past
• committing
  present participle

1. 

   to do; perform; perpetrate.

   to commit murder; to commit an error.

   Synonyms:

   execute, effect

2. 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.

3. to bind or obligate, as by pledge or assurance; pledge.

   to commit oneself to a promise; to be committed to a course of action.

4. to consign for preservation.

   to commit ideas to writing; to commit a poem to memory.

5. to give in trust or charge, especially for safekeeping; consign; commend: Every summer we were committed to babysitters and camp counselors.

   to commit one's soul to God;

   Every summer we were committed to babysitters and camp counselors.

6. to consign to custody.

   to commit a delinquent to a juvenile detention center.

7. 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.

8. to deliver for treatment, disposal, etc.; relegate.

   to commit a manuscript to the flames.

9. to send into a battle.

   The commander has committed all his troops to the front lines.

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

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verb (used without object)

• commits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• committed,
  past participle,  past
• committing
  present participle

1. to bind or obligate oneself, as by pledge or assurance; devote or engage oneself to a person or thing: If he hasn’t committed after eight years, he’s never going to marry you.

   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.

idioms

1. com·mit su·i·cide, to intentionally end one’s own life.

commit British  

/ kəˈmɪt /

verb

1. to hand over, as for safekeeping; charge; entrust

   to commit a child to the care of its aunt

2. to learn by heart; memorize

3. to confine officially or take into custody

   to commit someone to prison

4. (usually passive) to pledge or align (oneself), as to a particular cause, action, or attitude

   a committed radical

5. to order (forces) into action

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

7. to surrender, esp for destruction

   she committed the letter to the fire

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• committer
  noun
• uncommit
  verb
• precommit
  verb (used with object)
• committable
  adjective
• noncommitted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• committing
  present
• committed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• commit
  simple
• commits
  simple
• have committed
  perfect
• has committed
  perfect
• am committing
  progressive
• are committing
  progressive
• is committing
  progressive
• have been committing
  perfect progressive
• has been committing
  perfect progressive

Past

• committed
  simple
• had committed
  perfect
• was committing
  progressive
• were committing
  progressive
• had been committing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will commit
  simple
• will have committed
  perfect
• will be committing
  progressive
• will have been committing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

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-

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Explanation

To commit is to fully dedicate yourself to something. To commit yourself to being the coolest kid on the beach means spending hours at the mall trying on trunks and flip-flops. Commit can also mean "perform an act" — often the kind that can get you in trouble. Just ask anyone who's committed theft, or arson, or vandalism. If you are committing another person, that means you are sending that person to an institution. Someone may be committed to prison, or to a psychiatric hospital for treatment.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

commit commits committed committing

The term refers to students who commit to an institution in the spring, then don’t show up in the fall.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

The deadline for players to commit came and went last week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

The tradeoff is access: The more of your investable wealth you commit to one, the less cash you can reach.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026

His longest of the night came on a quick dump down to senior wide receiver commit Luke Frith, a Texas State commit who took it 80 yards for a touchdown.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

Galileo accepted, even though the increase in salary would only take effect from the following year, and even though it would commit him to burdensome teaching duties.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

But prosecutor Jennifer Sprague said she wants to hear Judge Sullivan's rulings on Monday's arguments before the prosecution commits to a new date or specifics for a potential retrial.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

The former boyfriend of music sensation Rihanna was handed an eight-month jail term suspended for a year -- meaning he will not be imprisoned unless he commits another offence during the period.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026

In return, he commits to staying in California for at least another eight years.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026

Goldman’s Solomon said the bank is “highly selective” about the risk it underwrites and the capital it commits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Whatever he undertakes, he commits himself to it fully, absolutely.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Luna has repeatedly told The Times in interviews since he took office in 2022 that he is committed to ridding the department’s ranks of deputy gangs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

I haven’t committed to the strategy yet and would appreciate some independent perspectives.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

Amid enrollment pressures driven by a shrinking student population, colleges are implementing anti-melt tactics—known as “freeze” strategies—to prevent competitors from poaching their committed students and to keep young people engaged with them throughout the year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Sheriff John MacRitchie said Mathewson had committed a "gross abuse of a position of trust" during sentencing at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

Anyone could belong to the committee, and C.P. decided that, uneasy as he was about the whole thing, he had committed himself to the process and might as well see it through.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

At bottom, Sotomayor explained, the parishes want to “reject a child because their parents are homosexual,” and they want “an official statement by the state” committing to “subsidize” that rejection “with public money.”

From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2026

“If you don’t buy them then you’re not committing to them. Therefore, you are not committing to being old,” she says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

Verify an adviser’s credentials and make sure you understand an investment before committing money, even a small amount.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026

Anna Ducros, a researcher at the International Institute for Environment and Development, said there had been some progress on countries committing to reducing subsidies for industries harmful to the environment.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

I left the spectators at the edge of the arc and hiked into the rocks, the way Fred and I had done so many times at Folly Cove, feeling out each step before committing.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

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