commute

1 of 2

verb

com·mute kə-ˈmyüt

commuted; commuting

Synonyms of commute next

transitive verb

: change, alter

: to give in exchange for another : exchange

commuting foreign currency to domestic

: to convert (something, such as a payment) into another form

The periodic payments may be commuted into a lump sum.

: to change (a penalty) to another less severe

commute a death sentence to life in prison

: commutate

intransitive verb

: make up, compensate

commuted for her sins

: to pay in gross (see gross entry 3 sense 1)

: to travel back and forth regularly (as between a suburb and a city)

He commutes to work every day by car.

: to yield the same mathematical result regardless of order

—used of two elements undergoing an operation or of two operations on elements

commutable

kə-ˈmyü-tə-bəl

adjective

commute

2 of 2

noun

: an act or an instance of commuting

: the distance covered in commuting

a long commute

Did you know?

When you commute between a suburb and a city, you're "exchanging" one location for another. When a chief executive substitutes a life sentence for the death sentence handed down by a court, he or she is commuting the original sentence. Most such commutations are the result of the prisoner's good behavior. A commutator is a device in many electric motors that regularly changes alternating current to direct current.

Examples of commute in a Sentence

Verb He commutes to work every day by train. She commutes 400 miles a week. The judge commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Manning pled guilty to multiple charges in 2013 and spent seven years in jail overall before President Barack Obama commuted the sentence in 2017. —

Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 26 June 2024 President Barack Obama commuted her sentence in 2017, allowing her release after about seven years behind bars. —

Eric Tucker, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 June 2024

Noun

And residents will be eligible to apply for club membership—a very easy commute from home to a Mayfair members club. —

Eleanor Pringle, Fortune Europe, 28 June 2024 Crowds pass it by daily on their commutes in and out of Brooklyn. —

Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 27 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for commute

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'commute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Latin commutare to change, exchange, from com- + mutare to change — more at mutable

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1954, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of commute was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Articles Related to commute

Merriam-Webster's Words of the Week -...

Dictionary lookups from Jacob Chansley, Julius Jones, Malcolm X, Gosar, and a fentanyl seizure.

The Words of the Week - 1/22/2021

Some of the words that defined the week ending January 22, 2021

Trending: Trump 'Commutes' Stone...

Cite this Entry

Style

“Commute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commute. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

commute

1 of 2 verb

com·mute kə-ˈmyüt

commuted; commuting

: exchange entry 2

especially : to change a penalty to another one that is less severe

commute a death sentence to life imprisonment

: to travel back and forth regularly

commutable

-ˈmyüt-ə-bəl

adjective

commuter noun

commute

2 of 2 noun

: an act or instance of commuting

the morning commute to work

: the distance covered in commuting

a long commute

Legal Definition

commute

transitive verb

com·mute kə-ˈmyüt

commuted; commuting

: to convert (as a payment) into another form

: to change (a penalty) to one less severe especially out of clemency compare pardon

commutation

ˌkä-myə-ˈtā-shən

noun

commutative

kə-ˈmyü-tə-tiv, ˈkä-myə-ˌtā-tiv

adjective

Last Updated: 3 Jul 2024 - Updated example sentences

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

swole

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

commute

verb

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms

Examples of commute in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near commute

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Legal Definition