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/kəmjˈut/ Listen

verb

Commute v. t. (past & past part. commuted; pres. part. commuting)

To exchange; to put or substitute something else in place of, as a smaller penalty, obligation, or payment, for a greater, or a single thing for an aggregate; hence, to lessen; to diminish; as, to commute a sentence of death to one of imprisonment for life; to commute tithes; to commute charges for fares. "The sounds water and fire, being once annexed to those two elements, it was certainly more natural to call beings participating of the first "watery", and the last "fiery", than to commute the terms, and call them by the reverse." "The utmost that could be obtained was that her sentence should be commuted from burning to beheading."

Commute v. i.

To obtain or bargain for exemption or substitution; to effect a commutation. "He... thinks it unlawful to commute, and that he is bound to pay his vow in kind."

To pay, or arrange to pay, in gross instead of part by part; as, to commute for a year's travel over a route.

To travel regularly from a place of residence to another place, such as where one's daily work is performed. Often, such travel is performed between a suburb and a nearby city; as, to commute to work.

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Etymology of 'Commute'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Commute" Quotes from Famous Books

... Couedic, "I wish for time for the minister at Paris to commute the sentence into eight days' imprisonment, which we deserve for ...

— The Regent's Daughter • Alexandre Dumas (Pere)

... was not hung, do you see, because there was nobody to hang him. Plenty of rope there was, to be sure, and a most beautiful gallows—but no sheriff! Of course, the thing came to a stand—perhaps it would not be proper to say a Dead stand—and the embarrassed Governor was obliged to commute the sentence! The creditors of the missing officer made a great complaint, but the Man who Wasn't Hung did not find the least fault. This shows the different views which the human mind may take of ...

— Punchinello, Vol.1, No. 4, April 23, 1870 • Various

... often prefers the manual labor of the poor artisan to the fasting and prayer of the priest, of which we find an illustration in St. Anthony and the shoemaker of Alexandria.[31] Since these things are so, who shall be so bold and presumptuous as to commute a vow into some "better work"? But these things will have to be spoken of elsewhere, for here we have undertaken to speak of confession only as it concerns the Commandments of God, for the quieting and composing of consciences which are ...

— Works of Martin Luther - With Introductions and Notes (Volume I) • Martin Luther

... yourself, with the late James Marston and the deceased person known as Starlight, have aided in the protection of life and property. The Governor and the Executive Council have therefore graciously been pleased to commute your sentence of death to that of fifteen ...

— Robbery Under Arms • Thomas Alexander Browne, AKA Rolf Boldrewood

... hung, who was not hung, do you see, because there was nobody to hang him. Plenty of rope there was, to be sure, and a most beautiful gallows—but no sheriff! Of course, the thing came to a stand—perhaps it would not be proper to say a Dead stand—and the embarrassed Governor was obliged to commute the sentence! The creditors of the missing officer made a great complaint, but the Man who Wasn't Hung did not find the least fault. This shows the different views which the human mind may ...

— Punchinello, Vol.1, No. 4, April 23, 1870 • Various

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