committed; committing
1
: to carry into action deliberately : perpetrate
commit a crime
commit a sin
2
3
a
: to put into charge or trust : entrust
… commit all executive, legislative, and judicial powers to one man …—
Arthur T. Vanderbilt
Arthur T. Vanderbilt
b
: to place in a prison or mental institution
The patient was committed by the court to a mental hospital.
He was committed to the state penitentiary for 10 years
c
: to consign or record for preservation
commit it to memory
d
: to put into a place for disposal or safekeeping
The chaplain committed the sailor's body to the deep.
e
: to refer (something, such as a legislative bill) to a committee for consideration and report
Synonyms
Examples of commit in a Sentence
The massacre was committed by the rebel army.
The contract commits the company to finishing the bridge by next fall.
He keeps delaying his decision because he doesn't want to commit himself.
They have not yet committed to a particular course of action.
Recent Examples on the Web
Valle Roca comes from a prominent family whose members first supported Fidel Castro’s revolution but later soured on it after witnessing the mismanagement and human-rights violations committed by Castro’s government.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 5 June 2024
The United States has committed $175 billion in aid for Ukraine since the war began in February 2022.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 5 June 2024
Buchner committed to play lacrosse at Ohio State as an eighth-grader, but hadn’t played the sport in five years.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2024
Best Lavish Amenity Kit: Turkish Airlines Turkish Airlines is committed to extending consistent perks in the midst of rising costs of travel.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for commit 
Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 5 June 2024
The United States has committed $175 billion in aid for Ukraine since the war began in February 2022.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 5 June 2024
Buchner committed to play lacrosse at Ohio State as an eighth-grader, but hadn’t played the sport in five years.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2024
Best Lavish Amenity Kit: Turkish Airlines Turkish Airlines is committed to extending consistent perks in the midst of rising costs of travel.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for commit
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'commit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near commit
Cite this Entry
“Commit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commit. Accessed 8 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
commit
verb
com·mit
kə-ˈmit 
committed; committing
1
a
: to make secure or put in safekeeping : entrust
commit the poem to memory
b
: to place in a prison or mental institution
2
: bring about, perform
commit a crime
3
: to pledge or assign to some particular course or use
committed myself to a meeting on Thursday
Medical Definition
commit
transitive verb
com·mit
kə-ˈmit
committed; committing
: to place in a prison or mental institution
a patient committed by the court to a state hospital
Legal Definition
commit
verb
com·mit
committed; committing
1
b
: to place in a prison or mental hospital especially by judicial order
was found to be gravely disabled and was involuntarily committed to the Central Louisiana State Hospital—In the Matter of K.G., 531 So. 2d 575 (1988)
compare institutionalize, interdict
In the Matter of K.G., 531 So. 2d 575 (1988)
c
: to send (as a legislative bill) to a committee for consideration and report
commit the crime bill to the joint committee
2
: to carry into action deliberately : perpetrate
to define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas—U.S. Constitution art. I
U.S. Constitution art. I
: to obligate or bind oneself
would not commit to the irrevocable order
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