commutes; commuted; commuting
1
: to travel regularly to and from a place and especially between where you live and where you work
He commutes to work every day by train.
She commutes 400 miles a week.
2
law
: to change (a punishment) to a less severe one
The judge commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment.
plural commutes
: the journey that you make when you travel to or from a place that you go to regularly (such as the place where you work)
—usually singular
She has a long commute to work/school.
There is always a lot of traffic on my morning commute.
Cite this Entry
“Commute.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/commute. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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