commutation
noun
com·mu·ta·tion
ˌkäm-yə-ˈtā-shən 
-yü-
2
: replacement
specifically
: a substitution of one form of payment or charge for another
a commutation by money payment for the exacted service
3
: a change of a legal penalty or punishment to a lesser one
commutation of a death sentence
4
: an act or process of commuting
… a ridge of hills makes daily commutation to San Francisco arduous.—
The New York Times
The New York Times5
: the action of commutating
Examples of commutation in a Sentence
He appealed for a commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment.
an international commutation of food for oil
Recent Examples on the Web
The president has the power to issue pardons and commutations.
—Jenna Sundel
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
But Trump and House Republicans have accused Biden of being incapacitated when his aides used the signature device to sign off on pardons and commutations during the final months of his presidency.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 17 July 2025
In a statement in January, Biden said the commutations were made to correct unfair sentencing disparities.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 16 July 2025
Topline President Donald Trump’s pardons and commutations have cost more than $100 million in fines owed to the federal government and another $1.5 billion in restitution to victims.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for commutation
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Jenna Sundel
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
But Trump and House Republicans have accused Biden of being incapacitated when his aides used the signature device to sign off on pardons and commutations during the final months of his presidency.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 17 July 2025
In a statement in January, Biden said the commutations were made to correct unfair sentencing disparities.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 16 July 2025
Topline President Donald Trump’s pardons and commutations have cost more than $100 million in fines owed to the federal government and another $1.5 billion in restitution to victims.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for commutation
Cite this Entry
“Commutation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commutation. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
commutation
noun
com·mu·ta·tion
ˌkäm-yə-ˈtā-shən
2
: a reduction of a legal penalty
3
: an act of commuting
4
: the process of reversing the direction of an electric circuit
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