commute
Americanverb (used with object)
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to change (a prison sentence or other penalty) to a less severe one.
The death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.
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to exchange for another or for something else; give and take reciprocally; interchange.
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to change.
to commute base metal into gold.
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to change (one kind of payment) into or for another, as by substitution.
verb (used without object)
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to travel regularly over some distance, as from a suburb into a city and back.
He commutes to work by train.
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to make substitution.
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to serve as a substitute.
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to make a collective payment, especially of a reduced amount, as an equivalent for a number of payments.
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Mathematics. to give the same result whether operating on the left or on the right.
noun
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a trip made by commuting.
It's a long commute from his home to his office.
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an act or instance of commuting.
verb
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(intr) to travel some distance regularly between one's home and one's place of work
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(tr) to substitute; exchange
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(tr) law to reduce (a sentence) to one less severe
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to pay (an annuity) at one time, esp with a discount, instead of in instalments
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(tr) to transform; change
to commute base metal into gold
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(intr) to act as or be a substitute
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(intr) to make a substitution; change
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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commutesimple
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commutessimple
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have commutedperfect
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has commutedperfect
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am commutingprogressive
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are commutingprogressive
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is commutingprogressive
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have been commutingperfect progressive
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has been commutingperfect progressive
Past
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commutedsimple
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had commutedperfect
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was commutingprogressive
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were commutingprogressive
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had been commutingperfect progressive
Future
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” ( see com-) + mūtāre “to change”
Explanation
A commute is a journey you take from home to work and back again. You might enjoy your subway commute because it gives you lots of time to read. Your commute is your trip to work, and the verb commute describes making that trip — like your preference to commute by public bus. Another meaning of commute describes changing the length of a judicial sentence, like when a judge commutes someone's time in jail. You can see this meaning in the word's origin — the Latin word commutare, meaning "to change altogether."
Vocabulary lists containing commute
Born a Crime
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Just Mercy
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From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A high-rise building in Manhattan was at risk of collapse after columns buckled and floors sagged, officials said Tuesday, prompting an emergency response during the rush-hour commute.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
She plans to remain in the city and will commute to Berkeley.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
In fact, the Glassdoor report noted that remote workers may be feeling increased pressure to log more working hours at home, effectively erasing the time they saved by skipping the commute.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 27, 2026
It’s an excellent option for your commute home or, in my case, evening dog walk.
From Slate ● Jun. 15, 2026
As for him, he’ll keep his job in publishing and just commute.
From "Bronx Masquerade" by Nikki Grimes
"Younger generations grow up with politics alongside their memes, their family pictures and their daily commutes."
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The benefits of hybrid work were particularly strong for women and people with longer commutes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
Yet the spread of work-from-home abilities has been a win for people with disabilities, workers with young families or people with long commutes, said Bloom.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026
Some bikes are good for carrying kids and cargo, others for daily city commutes.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
Full-time jobs, commutes, and children or parents who need care often get in the way.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
Although Tom was ultimately condemned to death, Virginia’s governor commuted his sentence to sale and transportation outside of the area.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Four years later, an overwhelming majority of California voters approved Proposition 36, reversing a 2014 change that had commuted some nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
Last week, Polis tried to quietly announce that he had commuted her nine-year prison sentence, but the news immediately caught fire.
From Slate ● May 21, 2026
This means their death sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment after two years, without the possibility of sentence reduction or parole, Xinhua reports.
From BBC ● May 7, 2026
For about five years we lived in White Sulphur while he commuted back and forth.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey said commuting habits have changed and far fewer school children walk to school, according to a Reuters report.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
Another said its products "for commuting" were a "smart choice for daily travel needs".
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
Greg Keogh couldn’t stand commuting, office attire and feeling depleted at the end of a workday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
At this World Cup, Team Melli has been subjected to shifting travel restrictions and uncertainty unlike the other 47 teams, spending the tournament commuting between Southern California and its base in Tijuana.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
The parlor car, packed with businessmen behind their newspapers, commuting homeward after their workdays, was electric with Malcolm X’s presence.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
