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.
He first commuted to the job from California, before building a home a few blocks off the central square where Walton opened a five-and-dime store in 1950.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
In 2003, Illinois Gov. George Ryan commuted 167 death sentences and granted four pardons.
From Slate ● Nov. 5, 2026
Vignali’s sentence was commuted by President Clinton on his last day in office; Becerra acknowledged calling the White House several times to discuss the possibility of Vignali’s release.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
Pike's legal team had filed the clemency petition earlier this month, requesting that her death sentence be commuted to life in prison.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
The problem was so significant in Illinois that in 2003, Governor George Ryan, a Republican, citing the unreliability of capital punishment, commuted the death sentences of all 167 people on death row.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
