commute

American  

[kuh-myoot] / kəˈmyut /

verb (used with object)

commuted, commuting

1. to change (a prison sentence or other penalty) to a less severe one.

   The death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

2. to exchange for another or for something else; give and take reciprocally; interchange.

3. to change.

   to commute base metal into gold.

4. to change (one kind of payment) into or for another, as by substitution.

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verb (used without object)

commuted, commuting

1. to travel regularly over some distance, as from a suburb into a city and back.

   He commutes to work by train.

2. to make substitution.

3. to serve as a substitute.

4. to make a collective payment, especially of a reduced amount, as an equivalent for a number of payments.

5. Mathematics. to give the same result whether operating on the left or on the right.

noun

1. a trip made by commuting.

   It's a long commute from his home to his office.

2. an act or instance of commuting.

commute British  

/ kəˈmjuːt /

verb

1. (intr) to travel some distance regularly between one's home and one's place of work

2. (tr) to substitute; exchange

3. (tr) law to reduce (a sentence) to one less severe

4. to pay (an annuity) at one time, esp with a discount, instead of in instalments

5. (tr) to transform; change

   to commute base metal into gold

6. (intr) to act as or be a substitute

7. (intr) to make a substitution; change

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noun

1. a journey made by commuting

commute Scientific  

/ kə-myo̅o̅t′ /

1. To yield the same result regardless of order. For example, numbers commute under addition, which is a commutative operation. Generally, any two operators H and G commute if their commutator is zero, i.e. HG − GH = 0.

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Other Word Forms

• commutability noun
• commutable adjective
• uncommuted adjective

Etymology

Origin of commute

First recorded in 1400–50, and in 1885–90 commute for def. 5; late Middle English, from Latin commūtāre “to change, replace, exchange,” equivalent to com- “with, together” ( com- ) + mūtāre “to change”

Example Sentences

Its Soviet-era power grid already needed upgrades before the blockade; now without fuel, Cubans can’t commute to work or school.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Estate agents in the area said the Metro upgrade to the core valley railway lines had made Cardiff "more accessible" for people who rely on public transport to commute to work.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Patterson has been working remotely since the pandemic and estimates he is saving $200 in gas each month by skipping the commute.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

It has provided the backdrop for iconic photos of US presidents for decades and is often dubbed the "45-second commute" as it takes the commander-in-chief from the Oval Office to private quarters.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

"Of course," I said, "I will be doing the same but opposite. I will commute north in the winter and south in the summer."

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg

Related Words

• shorten