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
The Republican governor has faced intense criticism, including from members of his own party, after his decision Friday to commute Reid’s sentence after he was convicted of driving while intoxicated and causing a crash that severely injured 5-year-old Ariel Young. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2024 Every other week, Hunter commuted back home — a 10-hour drive — to work in the oil fields. Wendy Grossman Kantor, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 On Monday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted 7-0 against commuting Cantu’s death sentence to a lesser penalty. Albinson Linares, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024 Currently, 90% of the city's population commutes east for work. Alexandra Hardle, The Arizona Republic, 28 Feb. 2024 Chances are that your waiter or desk clerk is commuting daily from Italy, seeking higher wages and job opportunities in Switzerland. Everett Potter, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Many residents commute to Boston for jobs, a set-up bolstered by the popularization of remote work since the pandemic. Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024 The next touched on religious pilgrimages, airports, and commuting to work. David Owen, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2024 That’s more than enough for two or three weeks of commuting or daily workouts before the case needs topping up. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
Noun
California’s population exodus has been primarily attributed to the state’s high housing costs, long commutes, crowds, crime and pollution in urban centers. Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 For the report, Realtor.com considered over 2,700 markets within the largest metro areas nationally and then ranked those by affordability, investment growth, options to buy or inventory, commute time, and things to do. Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2024 The heinous commute dividing them— four trains on weekends, holidays and, realistically, whenever the MTA decides to conduct repairs — doesn’t dampen their relationship, which is founded on a rare sororal intimacy. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 Income & Employment index (25%) ― income growth rate, share of households earning incomes above $75,000 per year, job security and satisfaction, weekly work hours, commute time, unemployment and underemployment rates, and more. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2024 The cold, combined with rain, graupel and snow from an overnight winter storm created icy roads in Kansas City’s Northland and led to crashes early in Wednesday morning’s commute. Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2024 Here’s how closures could affect your commute: Westbound I-80 connector to eastbound Highway 50 will close from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Eastbound Highway 50 on-ramp at Harbor Boulevard will be blocked from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 27 Feb. 2024 And, naturally, no one wanted to face long commutes again or rearrange their lives. John Purcell, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 The weather service says to prepare for slippery roads, adding that hazardous conditions could affect commute times as snow piles up quickly on cold roads. Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024

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 19 Mar. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!