commuter
Americannoun
adjective
-
of or for commuting; serving commuters.
a commuter railroad.
-
of or relating to a flight, plane, or airline that carries passengers over relatively short distances and usually serves small communities.
noun
Etymology
Origin of commuter
Explanation
A commuter is someone who has a lengthy trip to work, usually from a suburb to a city. Some people are lucky enough to work at home or live very close to where they work. Others are commuters: commuters need to commute — travel — to work. Being a commuter isn't easy, because it might take anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours to get from home to work and then back again, both times during rush hour. Usually, a commuter lives in the suburbs and commutes to the city, where many jobs are.
Vocabulary lists containing commuter
Eleven
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The Worst Class Trip Ever
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No Easy Answers: Our Digital World and "Gadgets and Games"
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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.
As a commuter student who is often busy at university, juggling clubs, internships and classes, I know it can be hard to make time for the people who matter most.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
The district reflects a mix of suburban commuter communities and is located near major military installations like Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and the Naval Weapons Station in Fallbrook.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
State media report that a stationary commuter train was hit from behind by a long-distance commuter train arriving on the same track.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
All the victims were in the commuter train, and all 240-odd passengers on the other train had been evacuated safely, according to Purba.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
Then father and son would quietly read the paper and sip their coffee together before Bobby would rise, pat his Pop on the shoulder, and head off to ride the commuter train into Manhattan.
From "Eleven" by Tom Rogers
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.
