commute

1 of 2

verb

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

transitive verb

1
a
: change, alter
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
: commutate

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
kə-ˈmyü-tə-bəl How to pronounce commute (audio)
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.

Synonyms

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

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
The proliferation of remote work nationwide also gave many rural residents a choice to stay home and work instead of commuting — and possibly moving — elsewhere. —Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 29 Apr. 2024 According to a White House official, Biden has commuted the sentences of 122 individuals and granted pardons to 20 who committed non-violent drug offenses. —Juhi Doshi, ABC News, 26 Apr. 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

Dictionary Entries Near commute

commutator

commute

commuted value

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Commute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commute. Accessed 4 May. 2024.

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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
-ˈmyüt-ə-bəl How to pronounce commute (audio)
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
ˌkä-myə-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce commute (audio)
noun
commutative
kə-ˈmyü-tə-tiv, ˈkä-myə-ˌtā-tiv How to pronounce commute (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on commute

Nglish: Translation of commute for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of commute for Arabic Speakers

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