Commute

Commute
Commute Com*mute" (k[o^]m*m[=u]t"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Commuted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Commuting}.] [L. commutare, -mutatum; com- + mutare to change. See {Mutation}.] 1. To exchange; to put or substitute something else in place of, as a smaller penalty, obligation, or payment, for a greater, or a single thing for an aggregate; hence, to lessen; to diminish; as, to commute a sentence of death to one of imprisonment for life; to commute tithes; to commute charges for fares. [1913 Webster]

The sounds water and fire, being once annexed to those two elements, it was certainly more natural to call beings participating of the first ``watery'', and the last ``fiery'', than to commute the terms, and call them by the reverse. --J. Harris [1913 Webster]

The utmost that could be obtained was that her sentence should be commuted from burning to beheading. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Synonyms:
/ (a greater punishment by a less)


Look at other dictionaries:

  • commute — com‧mute [kəˈmjuːt] verb [intransitive] TRAVEL to regularly travel a long distance for your work: commute between • a businessman who commutes between Northern Ireland and Hong Kong commute noun [countable usually singular] : • He got fed up …   Financial and business terms

  • Commute — Com*mute , v. i. 1. To obtain or bargain for exemption or substitution; to effect a commutation. [1913 Webster] He . . . thinks it unlawful to commute, and that he is bound to pay his vow in kind. Jer. Taylor. [1913 Webster] 2. To pay, or arrange …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • commute — com·mute /kə myüt/ vt com·mut·ed, com·mut·ing 1: to convert (as a payment) into another form 2: to change (a penalty) to one less severe esp. out of clemency compare pardon com·mu·ta·tion /ˌkä myə tā shən/ n …   Law dictionary

  • commute — [v1] travel to work drive, go back and forth, take the bus/subway/train; concept 224 commute [v2] reduce punishment alleviate, curtail, decrease, mitigate, modify, remit, shorten, soften; concepts 236,247,317 Ant. increase, lengthen commute [v3 …   New thesaurus

  • commute — (v.) mid 15c., from L. commutare to often change, to change altogether, from com , intensive prefix (see COM (Cf. com )), + mutare to change (see MUTABLE (Cf. mutable)). Sense of make less severe is 1630s. Sense of go back and forth to work is… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Commute — Commute, commutation or commutative may refer to: Commuting, the process of travelling between a place of residence and a place of work Commutative property, a property of a mathematical operation Commutation of sentence, a reduction in severity… …   Wikipedia

  • commute — ► VERB 1) travel some distance between one s home and place of work on a regular basis. 2) reduce (a judicial sentence, especially a sentence of death) to a less severe one. 3) change (one kind of payment or obligation) for (another). DERIVATIVES …   English terms dictionary

  • commute — [kə myo͞ot′] vt. commuted, commuting [ME commuten < L commutare, to change < com , intens. + mutare, to change: see MISS1] 1. to change (one thing) for or into another; exchange; substitute 2. to change (an obligation, punishment, etc.) to… …   English World dictionary

  • commute — v. 1) (D; intr.) ( to travel regularly ) to commute between; from; to (to commute between two cities; to commute from the suburbs to the city) 2) (D; tr.) ( to change ) to commute to (the Governor commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment) …   Combinatory dictionary

  • commute — com|mute1 [kəˈmju:t] v [Date: 1400 1500; : Latin; Origin: commutare to exchange, change , from com ( COM ) + mutare to change ] 1.) to regularly travel a long distance to get to work commute to/from/between ▪ Jim commutes to Manhattan every day.… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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