commute

1 of 2

verb

com·​mute kə-ˈmyüt How to pronounce commute (audio)
commuted; commuting

transitive verb

1
a
b
: to give in exchange for another : exchange
commuting foreign currency to domestic
2
: to convert (something, such as a payment) into another form
The periodic payments may be commuted into a lump sum.
3
: to change (a penalty) to another less severe
commute a death sentence to life in prison
4

intransitive verb

1
: make up, compensate
commuted for her sins
2
: to pay in gross (see gross entry 3 sense 1)
3
: to travel back and forth regularly (as between a suburb and a city)
He commutes to work every day by car.
4
: to yield the same mathematical result regardless of order
used of two elements undergoing an operation or of two operations on elements
commutable adjective

commute

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act or an instance of commuting
2
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Sitting behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, the President pardoned or commuted nearly 1,600 of the defendants convicted or charged in connection with the attack, including those who carried out violent acts such as smashing windows and beating police officers. Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 22 Jan. 2025 Trump also commuted the sentences of 14 people convicted of seditious conspiracy or other charges, including Elmer Stewart Rhodes, the Oath Keepers founder, who was sentenced in 2023 to 18 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Claire Healy, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
Friday's evening commute will be disrupted by the storm with a potential for anything wet on the roads to freeze amid rapidly falling temperatures. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025 Moderate-sized batteries mean even a household outlet can suffice to recharge the car overnight, delivering enough range for the average commute. Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 16 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for commute 

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

Dictionary Entries Near commute

Cite this Entry

“Commute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commute. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

commute

1 of 2 verb
com·​mute kə-ˈmyüt How to pronounce commute (audio)
commuted; commuting
1
: exchange entry 2
especially : to change a penalty to another one that is less severe
commute a death sentence to life imprisonment
2
: to travel back and forth regularly
commutable adjective
commuter noun

commute

2 of 2 noun
1
: an act or instance of commuting
the morning commute to work
2
: the distance covered in commuting
a long commute

Legal Definition

commute

transitive verb
com·​mute kə-ˈmyüt How to pronounce commute (audio)
commuted; commuting
1
: to convert (as a payment) into another form
2
: to change (a penalty) to one less severe especially out of clemency compare pardon
commutation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on commute

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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