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recommit

American  
[ree-kuh-mit] / ˌri kəˈmɪt /

verb (used with object)

recommitted, recommitting
  1. to commit again.

  2. to refer again to a committee.


recommit British  
/ ˌriːkəˈmɪt /

verb

  1. to send (a bill) back to a committee for further consideration

  2. to commit again

"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

Other Word Forms

  • recommitment noun
  • recommittal noun

Etymology

Origin of recommit

First recorded in 1615–25; re- + commit

Explanation

To recommit is to make a promise again, like when you recommit yourself to serving your Girl Scout troop by selling loads of cookies. It can also mean to carry out a crime for a subsequent time (something a Girl Scout would never do). When you recommit to cleaning your guinea pig's cage daily, you swear that you'll get back on a regular cleaning schedule. When you and your friends paint graffiti on your neighbor's garage two days in a row, you recommit the crime of vandalism. The prefix re- tells you that this verb is describing repeated or recurring action.

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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.

Oil shocks and heightened geopolitical tensions have reignited a familiar debate about whether policymakers should formally raise their inflation targets or simply take a mulligan and recommit.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

Rather than centering himself as a victim, he framed the incident as a test of national character, urging Americans to reject political cruelty and recommit to shared democratic values.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2026

If we’re willing to reform ourselves—to listen, change and recommit to our core mission—we can again be a trusted engine of the American dream, scientific breakthroughs and the global economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 25, 2026

Hsueh said that, until volatility declines or the Fed actually cuts rates, these investors will be reluctant to recommit funds to gold ETFs.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 18, 2025

Certain lawyers who were present seemed to be staggered at the case, but inclined rather to recommit the prisoner: the lord mayor, however, discharged Strong, as he had been taken up without a warrant.

From The History of the Rise, Progress and Accomplishment of the Abolition of the African Slave-Trade, by the British Parliament (1839) by Clarkson, Thomas