telecommute

verb

tele·com·mute ˈte-li-kə-ˌmyüt

telecommuted; telecommuting; telecommutes

intransitive verb

: to work at home by the use of an electronic linkup with a central office

telecommuter noun

Did you know?

Telecommute derives from the prefix tele-, a descendant of the Greek tele, meaning "far off," and the verb "commute," which arose from the Latin commutare, meaning "to change" or "to exchange." The practice of working at home and interfacing with the office via modem, telephone, or another telecommunications device has only recently become commonplace, but the word telecommute has been around since the mid-1970s. Its earliest documented use can be found in a January 1974 article in The Economist that predicted, "As there is no logical reason why the cost of telecommunication should vary with distance, quite a lot of people by the late 1980s will telecommute daily to their London offices while living on a Pacific island if they want to."

Examples of telecommute in a Sentence

The company now allows some of its employees to telecommute.

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.

Media and communications Share of remote job postings, October 2023: 22.2% Remote jobs share, October 2024: 23.9% Many financially struggling media companies have sold buildings to cut costs, requiring more employees to telecommute. —

Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2024 For almost 30 years, the United States government, the nation’s largest employer, has been at the forefront of the telecommuting trend, making federal agencies with remote job opportunities an excellent choice for those seeking to work from home. —

Jack Kelly, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024 Once bustling with city employees — and residents needing city services — these few blocks lying in the shadow of City Hall have been made desolate by telecommuting options and online access to municipal departments. —

Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024 Policies like flexible work arrangements, telecommuting and paid leave can mitigate job burnout and its associated costs. —

Ujjwal Ramtekkar, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for telecommute