commit
Americanverb (used with object)
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to do; perform; perpetrate.
to commit murder; to commit an error.
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to pledge (oneself ) to a position on an issue or question; express (one's intention, feeling, etc.).
Asked if he was a candidate, he refused to commit himself.
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to bind or obligate, as by pledge or assurance; pledge.
to commit oneself to a promise; to be committed to a course of action.
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to consign for preservation.
to commit ideas to writing; to commit a poem to memory.
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to give in trust or charge, especially for safekeeping; consign; commend: Every summer we were committed to babysitters and camp counselors.
to commit one's soul to God;
Every summer we were committed to babysitters and camp counselors.
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to consign to custody.
to commit a delinquent to a juvenile detention center.
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to place in a mental institution or hospital by or as if by legal authority.
He was committed by court order on the recommendation of two psychiatrists.
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to deliver for treatment, disposal, etc.; relegate.
to commit a manuscript to the flames.
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to send into a battle.
The commander has committed all his troops to the front lines.
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Parliamentary Procedure. to refer (a bill or the like) to a committee for consideration.
verb (used without object)
idioms
verb
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to hand over, as for safekeeping; charge; entrust
to commit a child to the care of its aunt
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to learn by heart; memorize
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to confine officially or take into custody
to commit someone to prison
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(usually passive) to pledge or align (oneself), as to a particular cause, action, or attitude
a committed radical
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to order (forces) into action
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to perform (a crime, error, etc); do; perpetrate
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to surrender, esp for destruction
she committed the letter to the fire
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to refer (a bill, etc) to a committee of a legislature
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of commit
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English committen, from Anglo-French committer or directly from Latin committere, equivalent to com- “with, together, completely” + mittere “to send, give over”; see origin at com-
Explanation
To commit is to fully dedicate yourself to something. To commit yourself to being the coolest kid on the beach means spending hours at the mall trying on trunks and flip-flops. Commit can also mean "perform an act" — often the kind that can get you in trouble. Just ask anyone who's committed theft, or arson, or vandalism. If you are committing another person, that means you are sending that person to an institution. Someone may be committed to prison, or to a psychiatric hospital for treatment.
Vocabulary lists containing commit
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Send a Message: Mit and Miss
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If Arsenal are to nullify PSG, in these situations they will have to commit to an approach.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
For 11 years Ms. Patchett was reluctant to fully commit to this man, until a health scare convinced her to make their union official.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
SpaceX isn’t yet willing to commit to keeping the deal in place for that long, according to CEO Elon Musk.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
"If we're going to commit to prosecuting someone who's degraded the landscape, then we should make sure that they atone by monitoring that landscape sufficiently afterwards."
From BBC • May 26, 2026
Owen stares intensely at me, like he’s waiting for me to commit.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
