commit
/kəˈmɪt
/verb (commits, committing, committed) [with object]
1Perpetrate or carry out (a mistake, crime, or immoral act): he committed an uncharacteristic error...
- More criminals than ever before are carrying weapons to commit crimes.
- I'm grateful it has taught me not to commit such immoral acts.
- On each occasion, magistrates had warned him that he could be resentenced for his crimes if he committed another offence within a year.
Synonyms
carry out, do, perform, perpetrate, engage in, enact, execute, effect, accomplish;
be responsible for, be to blame for, be guilty of
informal pull off
rare effectuate
2Pledge or bind (a person or an organization) to a certain course or policy: they were reluctant to commit themselves to an opinion [with object and infinitive]: the treaty commits each party to defend the other [no object]: try it out before you commit to a purchase...
- And of course, we're committed to helping them as much as we can.
- We are committed to our organization, to our profession, and to our patients.
- While she is yet to define her role with the organisation, she is committed enough to take the first step.
Synonyms
pledge, devote, apply, give, dedicate, bind, obligate
2.1 (be committed to) Be dedicated to (something): we are committed to the fundamental principles of democracy...
- At her new job, Pully found a well-run school and a dedicated staff that was committed to teaching students well.
- The Government is committed to encouraging modern businesses which develop and build on the strengths and commitment of their workforce.
- That is not consistent with the agreement which says that everybody has to be committed to exclusively peaceful means.
Synonyms
devout, devoted, loyal, dedicated, faithful, staunch, firm, steadfast, resolute, unwavering, sincere, wholehearted, keen, earnest, enthusiastic, zealous, passionate, ardent, fervent, motivated, driven, active, sworn, pledged;
dutiful, hard-working, diligent, studious, assiduous;
French engagé
informal card-carrying, red-hot, true blue, mad keen, deep-dyed
2.2Pledge or set aside (resources) for future use: manufacturers will have to commit substantial funds to developing new engines...
- But he said they would examine it closely before committing their resources, which are increasingly in demand, to any investigation.
- It's good that we're committing new resources as of today.
- Why not give the idea a fighting chance by committing whatever resources are necessary to improve the promising technology?
2.3 (commit oneself to) Resolve to remain in a long-term emotional relationship with (someone): she didn’t love him enough to commit herself to him [no object]: once I commit I tend to get scared...
- But whatever it is, I'm proud of my decision and proud of finally being able to commit myself to something long term.
- Part of love, part of committing yourself to a relationship, is the voluntary surrender of part of your emotions.
- Gere's character finds it difficult at first to commit himself to the relationship, but after first betraying and walking out on the young woman, throws himself into the affair and does everything in his power to save her life.
2.4 (be committed to) Be in a long-term emotional relationship with (someone): she loved a man who was committed to another woman...
- For Dante, it ended with the realization that he was too committed to it to be committed to a woman.
- I think it may have been the case that Mr Smith was committed to the claimant and wanted to live with her but I am not satisfied that this wish was reciprocated by Miss King.
- I would do anything to change this situation because I am committed to you and to our relationship and because I love you so much.
3 (commit something to) Transfer something to (a state or place where it can be kept or preserved): he composed a letter but didn’t commit it to paper she committed each tiny feature to memory...
- Unfortunately I was in Anglesey with no means of committing my thoughts to anything permanent, and now, after a four and a half hour drive back two hours of which were spent on the M6, my brain isn't functioning at it's usual level.
- The ability to complete the circuit from reading to published opinion in just a few clicks allows, and almost demands that we forego a space of time to step back and reflect and discuss before committing our reactions to words.
- ‘Publish and be damned’ is a phrase that some of us are familiar with and this very potential damnation stops many from committing their ideas to paper.
3.1Consign (someone) officially to prison, especially on remand: he was committed to prison for contempt of court...
- But, generally speaking, once people are committed to prison they are in the hands of the Executive Government.
- That is to say a man would be committed to prison until such time as he purged his contempt by complying with the order.
- If, however, the fugitive is committed to prison, the Act contemplates that he may seek to challenge that warrant by habeas corpus proceedings.
Synonyms
consign, assign, send, deliver, confine
3.2Send (a person or case) for trial in a higher court: the magistrate decided to commit him for trial...
- Earlier this week, the magistrates committed Murdoch to stand trial saying he had a case to answer on all three charges.
- The preliminary inquiry judge exceeded her jurisdiction in committing him to trial for the more serious charge.
- After a magistrate committed him to trial, the office of the Director for Public Prosecutions, or DPP in Queensland, decided not to proceed with the cases.
3.3Send (someone) to be confined in a psychiatric hospital: you guys would have had me committed...
- A woman named Slava Denisov was committed to a psychiatric hospital for collecting signatures on a petition against the war.
- This was his last public appearance before he was committed to a psychiatric hospital on Sunday.
- A vagrant who lived rough for a time in Stromness was committed to a psychiatric hospital on Friday, after a sheriff in Wick rejected a plea to grant the man the freedom to return to his nomadic lifestyle in Orkney.
Synonyms
hospitalize, confine, institutionalize, put away, lock away, lock up;
certify
3.4Refer (a parliamentary or legislative bill) to a committee.I happily commit this bill to the select committee....
- I commit the bill to the select committee for consideration.
- I intend to speak to a proposed motion to amend the resolution to commit the bill to select committee.
Derivatives
committable
- Although I think he is a danger to others, especially Lenore, I can't honestly say either that the danger is imminent or that I think he is committable.
- If I'm to be considered the Bad Girl, out of control, committable, I plan to teach the world exactly what these labels mean.
committer
- For the first solution the government could undertake a list of crimes the committer should be killed for.
- Projects highly centralized on this measure would have a small core of regular code committers, whereas more decentralized projects would have code written by a greater proportion of individuals involved in the project.
- Although most committers of incest were sentenced to banishment for life, it is not surprising that magistrates were not entirely consistent in imposing punishments.
Origin
Late Middle English: from Latin committere 'join, entrust' (in medieval Latin 'put into custody'), from com- 'with' + mittere 'put or send'.