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
Verb
Conversely, an employee required to be in the office lacks autonomy, while one who commutes regularly to the same office (or desk) seldom travels with intention. Phil Kirschner, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 Earlier Wednesday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles declined to recommend clemency after his attorneys requested his death sentence be commuted to a lesser penalty – or that the inmate be granted a 180-day reprieve to allow time for his appeals to be argued in court. Dakin Andone, CNN, 17 Oct. 2024
Noun
Interestingly, the pad isn’t far from Berk’s own home above Lake Hollywood, which definitely made the commute easier. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2024 Swap the mundane commute for at least one purposeful, hyper-local business trip and mail a postcard to your peers about the experience. Phil Kirschner, Forbes, 24 Oct. 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

Cite this Entry

“Commute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commute. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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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