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)
He commutes 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
Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Popular among celebrities and our writers alike, Longchamp tote bags are a reliable (and stylish) option to reach for when commuting to work, running errands, or embarking on a weekend trip.
—Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Iris Sanchez, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
In New York City, a high-speed ferry corridor connecting the boroughs could cut a 60-minute commute nearly in half.
—Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commute
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Verb
That could help with a key goal of the new transit line — persuading people who commute by car to give a more comfortable bus experience a try.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Popular among celebrities and our writers alike, Longchamp tote bags are a reliable (and stylish) option to reach for when commuting to work, running errands, or embarking on a weekend trip.
—Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
Fourth-year student Carla Sparza only commutes to SJSU twice a week.
—Iris Sanchez, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
In New York City, a high-speed ferry corridor connecting the boroughs could cut a 60-minute commute nearly in half.
—Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commute
Cite this Entry
“Commute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commute. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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
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