commitment

[ kuh-mit-muhnt ]

/ kəˈmɪt mənt /

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See synonyms for: commitment / commitments on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act of committing.

the state of being committed.

the act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself.

a pledge or promise; obligation: We have made a commitment to pay our bills on time.

dedication; allegiance: They have a sincere commitment to religion.

perpetration or commission, as of a crime.

consignment, as to prison.

confinement to a mental institution or hospital: The psychiatrist recommended commitment.

an order, as by a court or judge, confining a person to a mental institution or hospital.

Law. a written order of a court directing that someone be confined in prison; mittimus.

Parliamentary Procedure. the act of referring or entrusting to a committee for consideration.

Stock Exchange.

an agreement to buy or sell securities.
a sale or purchase of securities.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Also committal (for defs. 1, 3-11).

Origin of commitment

First recorded in 1605–15; commit + -ment

OTHER WORDS FROM commitment

non·com·mit·ment, nounpre·com·mit·ment, adjectiveself-com·mit·ment, noun

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

How to use commitment in a sentence

We see detoxing as a path to transcendence, a symbol of modern urban virtue and self-transformation through abstinence.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Stephanie Giorgio, a classical musician, credits The Class for helping her cope with anxiety, focus, fear, and self-doubt.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
For someone with anorexia, self-starvation makes them feel better.
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models|Carrie Arnold|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I went into the audition as Fericito, the Venezuelan percussionist, and then I did a self-defense expert.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Those who come to the Dinner Party are self-selecting; they do want to talk about it.
Everyone at This Dinner Party Has Lost Someone|Samantha Levine|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Let the thought of self pass in, and the beauty of great action is gone, like the bloom from a soiled flower.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
Now this setting up of an orderly law-abiding self seems to me to imply that there are impulses which make for order.
Children's Ways|James Sully
At present, Louis was too self-absorbed by the struggles within him, to look deep into what was passing around him.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
But to wave this discourse of Heathens, how many self-contradicting principles are there held among Christians?
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)|Daniel Defoe
Jean grinned and dribbled self-consciously, and showed his two little teeth to the proudest father in the world.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke

British Dictionary definitions for commitment

commitment

/ (kəˈmɪtmənt) /

noun

the act of committing or pledging

the state of being committed or pledged

an obligation, promise, etc that restricts one's freedom of action

the referral of a bill to a committee or legislature

Also called (esp formerly): mittimus law a written order of a court directing that a person be imprisoned

the official consignment of a person to a mental hospital or prison

commission or perpetration, esp of a crime

a future financial obligation or contingent liability

Also called (esp for senses 5, 6): committal (kəˈmɪtəl)

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

commitment

Origin of commitment

OTHER WORDS FROM commitment

Words related to commitment

How to use commitment in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for commitment