commuted; commuting
1
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
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
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.
Synonyms
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
Holly Yan, CNN, 26 Mar. 2024
As for larger bags, the Eagle Creek Gear Warrior Convertible Carry-on Wheeled Pack is easy to commute with and now sitting at $344, while the Outdoor Research CarryOut Duffel Bag is also double discounted to $76 and ready to take on a weekend of adventures with space to spare.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024
A couple of blocks away, Stephen Jackson, 38, works as the policy director at a Republican think tank, commuting by car from his home near Union Market several days a week.
—Paul Schwartzman, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
Eyeless and ghostly pale from millions of years spent below ground, the salamanders appear to commute back and forth to the sunny surface using springs where water bubbles up from hundreds of feet deep.
—Elizabeth Anne Brown, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024
It was announced Friday that Missouri Gov. Mike Parson commuted Reid’s sentence after he was convicted of driving while intoxicated and causing a crash that severely injured a 5-year-old girl.
—Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2024
Developers called the complex of warehouses and industrial space an economic game-changer for South Miami-Dade that would bring 7,000 jobs to an area where many people must commute north for work.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024
The only parts of the day that are growing in business are morning and late night, times when customers are likely commuting to work or heading home from the clubs, and those occasions require on-the-go meals, not sit-down ones.
—Dennis Lee / The Takeout, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024
Bembenek returned the following year and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, with her sentence commuted to time served.
—Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2024
Madeleine Burry, Health, 3 Apr. 2024
Also last week, Yoon oversaw the launch of a high-speed train that would reduce travel time between Seoul and its outskirts to less than a quarter of the original commute.
—Chad De Guzman, TIME, 3 Apr. 2024
Travel is expected to be very difficult and impacting Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning commutes.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2024
These pods provide other benefits such as savings on energy consumption, internet usage, IT costs and worker commutes.
—Jeanne Meister, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Debord predicted that taxes could rise, plus the region could see a big hit to its fishing industry, as well as longer commutes.
—NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024
And Jude’s movie alludes to a creeping cataclysm of the everyday—a sense that our lives are being gradually stolen from us, one endless commute, meaningless task, and crushingly inadequate paycheck at a time.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2024
There is a slight chance the wintry precipitation will linger into the morning commute for those north of the Missouri River.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024
Flooding is unlikely because conditions are so dry, but watch for pools of water on roads during tonight's commute.
—Journal Sentinel, 24 Mar. 2024
Verb
More than 30,000 Marylanders commuted on the Francis Scott Key Bridge every day, Moore said.
—Holly Yan, CNN, 26 Mar. 2024
As for larger bags, the Eagle Creek Gear Warrior Convertible Carry-on Wheeled Pack is easy to commute with and now sitting at $344, while the Outdoor Research CarryOut Duffel Bag is also double discounted to $76 and ready to take on a weekend of adventures with space to spare.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024
A couple of blocks away, Stephen Jackson, 38, works as the policy director at a Republican think tank, commuting by car from his home near Union Market several days a week.
—Paul Schwartzman, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
Eyeless and ghostly pale from millions of years spent below ground, the salamanders appear to commute back and forth to the sunny surface using springs where water bubbles up from hundreds of feet deep.
—Elizabeth Anne Brown, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024
It was announced Friday that Missouri Gov. Mike Parson commuted Reid’s sentence after he was convicted of driving while intoxicated and causing a crash that severely injured a 5-year-old girl.
—Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2024
Developers called the complex of warehouses and industrial space an economic game-changer for South Miami-Dade that would bring 7,000 jobs to an area where many people must commute north for work.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024
The only parts of the day that are growing in business are morning and late night, times when customers are likely commuting to work or heading home from the clubs, and those occasions require on-the-go meals, not sit-down ones.
—Dennis Lee / The Takeout, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024
Bembenek returned the following year and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, with her sentence commuted to time served.
—Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2024
Noun
Schedule your commute to avoid crowded train cars or extreme temperatures (e.g., a hot yoga class) that may leave you light-headed.
—Madeleine Burry, Health, 3 Apr. 2024
Also last week, Yoon oversaw the launch of a high-speed train that would reduce travel time between Seoul and its outskirts to less than a quarter of the original commute.
—Chad De Guzman, TIME, 3 Apr. 2024
Travel is expected to be very difficult and impacting Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning commutes.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2024
These pods provide other benefits such as savings on energy consumption, internet usage, IT costs and worker commutes.
—Jeanne Meister, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Debord predicted that taxes could rise, plus the region could see a big hit to its fishing industry, as well as longer commutes.
—NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024
And Jude’s movie alludes to a creeping cataclysm of the everyday—a sense that our lives are being gradually stolen from us, one endless commute, meaningless task, and crushingly inadequate paycheck at a time.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2024
There is a slight chance the wintry precipitation will linger into the morning commute for those north of the Missouri River.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024
Flooding is unlikely because conditions are so dry, but watch for pools of water on roads during tonight's commute.
—Journal Sentinel, 24 Mar. 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.
Dictionary Entries Near commute
Cite this Entry
“Commute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commute. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
commute
1 of 2 verb
com·mute
kə-ˈmyüt 
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
commuter
noun
commute
2 of 2 noun1
: an act or instance of commuting
the morning commute to work
2
: the distance covered in commuting
a long commute
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