commute

[ kuh-myoot ]

/ kəˈmyut /

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See synonyms for: commute / commuting on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), com·mut·ed, com·mut·ing.

to change (a prison sentence or other penalty) to a less severe one: The death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

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

to change: to commute base metal into gold.

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

verb (used without object), com·mut·ed, com·mut·ing.

to travel regularly over some distance, as from a suburb into a city and back: He commutes to work by train.

to make substitution.

to serve as a substitute.

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

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

noun

a trip made by commuting: It's a long commute from his home to his office.

an act or instance of commuting.

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Origin of commute

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

OTHER WORDS FROM commute

un·com·mut·ed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH commute

commute , forgive, pardon

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use commute in a sentence

He is a creative professional doing what he loves, and to him it doesn't make sense to suffer inconveniences like a commute and officemate, even though I get a paycheck for doing so.
Carolyn Hax: She has a 90-minute commute, but it doesn’t have to be all uphill|Carolyn Hax|November 12, 2020|Washington Post
I take my time with breakfast and coffee, since my commute is nonexistent.
Why the Vuori Ponto Is My Favorite Work-from-Home Pant|Jakob Schiller|November 10, 2020|Outside Online
The capital-intensive plan wouldn’t revolutionize the commutes of county residents overnight, but if it’s heading for the 2022 ballot, the agency will need to get started.
Politics Report: Winners and Losers Special Edition|Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts|November 7, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Most cities have public transit systems that serve an outdated commute, and it’s impossible to get around except for in a car.
Why American public transit is so bad|Laura Bult|October 23, 2020|Vox

If you prefer to listen to new music during your commute, but have had been busy streaming oldies on Spotify’s service, your morning show will reflect those trends.
Spotify takes on radio with its own daily morning show|Sarah Perez|October 22, 2020|TechCrunch
All three were originally sentenced to death, later commuted to life.
For Ricky Jackson, a Just Verdict—But 39 Years Too Late|Cliff Schecter|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After 15 years on Death Row, that was commuted to two life sentences.
Did Pablo Escobar Frame a Millionaire for Murdering Banana-Shipping Money Launderers?|Jacqui Goddard|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The attempt was hatched in an effort to have a death sentence on an IRA man commuted, the military pensions archives reveal.
How The IRA Tried To Kidnap Edward VIII|Tom Sykes|October 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was standing in front of the firing squad when his sentence was commuted to exile in Siberia.
Russian History Is on Our Side: Putin Will Surely Screw Himself|P. J. O’Rourke|May 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In March, Youssef condemned 529 people to death, although most of those sentences subsequently were commuted to life in prison.
The Hanging Judge of Minya, Egypt, Sentences Hundreds to Death|Bel Trew|April 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The plotting of Vautrin, who bore for him an unnatural affection, saved his life; the sentence was commuted.
Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z|Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe
This sentence the parliament of Paris commuted, by a small majority, into decapitation before burning.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
And Montagu had gone with Owen and Duncan to beg that the expulsion might be commuted into some other punishment.
Eric, or Little by Little|Frederic W. Farrar
At last de B. ran upon "tyrant or despot," which he commuted for "emperor."
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, No. 358|Various
I am glad to tell you that the sentence of R——, whose cell was next to mine, has been commuted to life imprisonment.
Prisons and Prayer: Or a Labor of Love|Elizabeth Ryder Wheaton

British Dictionary definitions for commute

commute

/ (kəˈmjuːt) /

verb

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

(tr) to substitute; exchange

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

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

(tr) to transform; changeto commute base metal into gold

(intr) to act as or be a substitute

(intr) to make a substitution; change

noun

a journey made by commuting

Derived forms of commute

commutable, adjectivecommutability or commutableness, noun

Word Origin for commute

C17: from Latin commutāre to replace, from com- mutually + mutāre to change

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for commute

commute

[ kə-myōōt′ ]

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.

commute

Origin of commute

OTHER WORDS FROM commute

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH commute

Words related to commute

How to use commute in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for commute

Derived forms of commute

Word Origin for commute

Scientific definitions for commute