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)
They commute 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.
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
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Feb. 2026
Drivers should practice safe fog safety while commuting, with larger following distances and the use of low beam headlights.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 4 Feb. 2026
Steven Sosna, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
The hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday evening commute as well as the Wednesday morning commute.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commute
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
Many listeners use them to follow along, understand unfamiliar languages, or sing while commuting.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Feb. 2026
Drivers should practice safe fog safety while commuting, with larger following distances and the use of low beam headlights.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 4 Feb. 2026
Noun
There will be some slick spots during the mornings commutes.
—Steven Sosna, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
The hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday evening commute as well as the Wednesday morning commute.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commute
Cite this Entry
“Commute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commute. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
