commute

verb

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com·mute | \ kə-ˈmyüt

commuted; commuting

Definition of commute

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : 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

commute

noun

Definition of commute (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an act or an instance of commuting

2 : the distance covered in commuting a long commute

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Synonyms for commute

Synonyms: Verb

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 finding adds to a growing body of research indicating that investments in cycling infrastructure can encourage more people to commute by bike, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve health. — Veronica Penney New York Times, Star Tribune, "Pop-up lanes increase cycling during pandemic, study shows," 2 Apr. 2021 The decision to commute Burrell's sentence was made by Governor Tim Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. — Victoria Albert, CBS News, "Minnesota commutes life sentence of man convicted of killing 11-year-old with stray bullet in 2002," 16 Dec. 2020 Workers who used to commute by car but are now working from home are saving a total of $758 million per day, according to research from freelancing platform Upwork. — Kathryn Vasel, CNN, "Where do you want to work?," 3 Sep. 2020 The British Chambers of Commerce, which represents companies employing almost six million people, points to the disparity between big cities and smaller conurbations, where people are more able to commute by bike or car. — Greg Ritchie, Bloomberg.com, "Office Push Puts Johnson on Collision Course With U.K. Workers," 27 Aug. 2020 Being able to live in a more affordable, quality area, not having to commute, and pocketing more money are strong incentives for relocating. — Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Will San Diego stay-at-home workers leave if given the opportunity?," 21 Aug. 2020 The city hopes this commitment will make cyclists feel safer and encourage more people to commute by bike. — Linnea Lipson, The Denver Post, "Denver to build 125 miles of bike lanes by 2023," 16 Jan. 2020 First, remote workers commute less, sometimes only to the kitchen table or home office. — Louis Gritzo, Forbes, "Progress From The Pandemic: Remote Work Improves Organizational Resilience," 18 Mar. 2021 Parents working in a new government will often commute home on the weekends, but the pandemic has put a halt to that practice. — Annie Karni, New York Times, "When Your West Wing Job Is Really, Really Far From the Oval Office," 11 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Her three-hour daily commute in and out of the city had been eliminated; her kids had settled into their new routines. — Peggy Drexler, WSJ, "When the Pandemic’s End Means the Return of Anxiety," 1 Apr. 2021 In a turn that few Americans can deploy with such effect, Walensky spoke of her own commute to Mass General. — Philip Elliott, Time, "In a Break with Washington's Usual Posture, the CDC Director Makes an Emotional Plea," 30 Mar. 2021 The pandemic had brought an end to his long commute. — BostonGlobe.com, "A year of grit and despair: For one class of immigrant students, the pandemic threatens to upend their educational dreams," 26 Mar. 2021 Strengthened from an early-morning devotional, the 59-year-old prays during his roughly 12-minute commute to work each day. — Los Angeles Times, "Hospital chaplains embrace new role during the pandemic: caring for caregivers," 19 Mar. 2021 ActionHeat AA Battery Heated Scarf: available at Dick's Sporting GoodsStay warm through your entire commute with this heated scarf. — Sian Babish, chicagotribune.com, "Essential cold weather commuting gear," 12 Mar. 2021 Pallotta was happy to skip her commute but missed her colleagues and seeing patients in person. — Lizzie Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, "The Grand Princess cruise was supposed to be their big anniversary celebration. Then COVID-19 hit," 6 Mar. 2021 The Trofeo is rear-drive only, making this the big, powerful, luxury four-door to buy if lurid burnouts are part of your commute. — John Pearley Huffman, Car and Driver, "2021 Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo Needs to Be Weirder," 19 Feb. 2021 If classes are in person, her round-trip commute from home to the campus will total about two hours. — Ryan Faircloth, Star Tribune, "Minnesota college students with children face overwhelming balancing act during pandemic," 13 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'commute.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.