commit

verb

OPAL W

/kəˈmɪt/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they commit	/kəˈmɪt/ /kəˈmɪt/
he / she / it commits	/kəˈmɪts/ /kəˈmɪts/
past simple committed	/kəˈmɪtɪd/ /kəˈmɪtɪd/
past participle committed	/kəˈmɪtɪd/ /kəˈmɪtɪd/
-ing form committing	/kəˈmɪtɪŋ/ /kəˈmɪtɪŋ/

jump to other results

crime

[transitive] commit something to do something wrong or illegal

to commit a crime/an offence
to commit murder/fraud/adultery
to commit an act of violence/terrorism
to commit an error/a sin
to commit atrocities
appalling crimes committed against innocent children
Most crimes are committed by young men.
The men are being held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

Extra Examples

He denied conspiring to commit robberies in April last year.
He was punished for a murder he did not commit.
I had committed a faux pas by referring to her ex-husband.
Was she capable of committing a crime?
committing an act of violence
What leads someone to commit murder?

Topics Crime and punishmentb1

suicide

[transitive] commit suicide to kill yourself deliberately

Her father had committed suicide.

promise/say definitely

[transitive, often passive] to promise sincerely that you will definitely do something, keep to an agreement or arrangement, etc.

commit somebody/yourself They want to see the text of the proposed treaty before fully committing themselves.
commit somebody/yourself to something Making an application does not commit you to anything.
commit somebody/yourself to doing something Borrowers should think carefully before committing themselves to taking out a loan.
commit somebody/yourself to do something Both sides committed themselves to settle the dispute peacefully.

Extra Examples

He has now committed us to buying the house.
We need people to commit themselves to regular voluntary work.
Both candidates refused to commit themselves to tax cuts.
Several countries were reluctant to commit themselves to the treaty.

Topics Discussion and agreementb1

[transitive] commit yourself (to something) to give an opinion or make a decision openly so that it is then difficult to change it

You don't have to commit yourself now—just think about it.

stay with

[intransitive] commit (to somebody/something) to stay with and completely support one person, organization, etc. or give all your time and effort to your work, an activity, etc.

Why are so many men scared to commit? (= say they will stay with one person)

money/time

[transitive] commit something to spend money or time on something/somebody

The council has committed large amounts of money to housing projects.
The University committed substantial funds to assisting mature students.

to hospital/prison

[transitive, often passive] commit somebody to something to order somebody to be sent to a hospital, prison, etc.

She was committed to a psychiatric hospital.

Topics Crime and punishmentc1

somebody for trial

[transitive] commit somebody to send somebody for trial in court

The attackers were committed for trial at Bristol Crown Court.

something to memory

[transitive] commit something to memory to learn something well enough to remember it exactly

She committed the instructions to memory.

Topics Educationc2

something to paper/writing

[transitive] commit something to paper/writing to write something down

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kid
nod
pad
plod
prod
shred
skid
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beg
blog
bug
drag
drug
flag
hug
jog
log
mug
nag
plug

bar
confer
infer
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prefer
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star
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acquit
admit
allot
chat
clot
commit
jut
knit
pat
regret
rot
spot
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appal
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counsel
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label
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model
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Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin committere ‘join, entrust’ (in medieval Latin ‘put into custody’), from com- ‘with’ + mittere ‘put or send’.