commutation

noun

com·​mu·​ta·​tion ˌkäm-yə-ˈtā-shən 

-yü-

1

: exchange, trade

2

: replacement

specifically : a substitution of one form of payment or charge for another

a commutation by money payment for the exacted service

3

: a change of a legal penalty or punishment to a lesser one

commutation of a death sentence

4

: an act or process of commuting

… a ridge of hills makes daily commutation to San Francisco arduous.

—The New York Times

5

: the action of commutating

Synonyms

• exchange

Examples of commutation in a Sentence

He appealed for a commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment.

an international commutation of food for oil

Recent Examples on the Web

How Maxwell's Trump Deal Could Look Maxwell may also pursue presidential clemency—a pardon would clear her conviction, while a commutation would shorten her sentence. —Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025

The clemency actions included a blanket pardon for his son Hunter Biden, preemptive pardons for other family members and Trump adversaries, and sweeping commutations for nonviolent drug offenders. —Joey Garrison, USA Today, 17 July 2025

For example, Trump granted a commutation to Philip Esformes, a Florida health care executive convicted in 2019 of a $1.3 billion Medicare and Medicaid fraud scheme. —Brett Kelman, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

However, Kelly is seeking a pardon or sentence commutation from President Donald Trump after alleging in an emergency filing that three officials with the Bureau of Prisons plotted his murder. —Caroline Blair, People.com, 17 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English commutacion, from Anglo-French, from Latin commutation-, commutatio, from commutare

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing commutation

• commutation ticket

Rhymes for commutation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

commutation

noun

com·​mu·​ta·​tion ˌkäm-yə-ˈtā-shən 

1

: exchange entry 1 sense 2, replacement

2

: a reduction of a legal penalty

3

: an act of commuting

4

: the process of reversing the direction of an electric circuit