commute
verb (used with object)
to change (a prison sentence or other penalty) to a less severe one.
commuted
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past participleof commute.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof commute.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
commuteverb (used with object)to change (a prison sentence or other penalty) to a less severe one.
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.
Two years later, the high court commuted his death sentence.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
He later served time in prison, pleading guilty to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and other charges, but President Donald Trump commuted his sentence in October 2025.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
Suu Kyi, now 81, was moved to house arrest later that month after Min Aung Hlaing said he had commuted the rest of her sentence.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 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
The others came from Manhattan, Hoboken, the Bronx, and one commuted from Bayonne, New Jersey.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
