Etymology : Middle English committen, from Latin committere to connect, entrust, from com- + mittere to send
Pronunciation : k&-mit
Function : verb
Date : 14th century
1. perform, do, execute; offer, pledge (one's loyalty, etc.); be obliged; give, entrust; send to prison, send to an institution (i.e. mental institution). commit\com"mit\, v. i. to sin; esp., to be incontinent. [obs.] commit not with man's sworn spouse.commit \com*mit"\ , v. t. [imp. & p. p. committed; p. pr. & vb. n. committing.] [l. committere, commissum, to connect, commit; com- + mittere to send. see:
mission.].
2. to give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to intrust; to consign; -- used with to, unto. commit thy way unto the lord. xxxvii.
3. bid him farewell, commit him to the grave.
4. to put in charge of a jailor; to imprison. these two were committed.
5. to do; to perpetrate, as a crime, sin, or fault. thou shalt not commit adultery. xx.
6. 4. to join for a contest; to match; -- followed by with. [r.] h. more.
7. to pledge or bind; to compromise, expose, or endanger by some decisive act or preliminary step; -- often used reflexively; as, to commit one's self to a certain course. you might have satisfied every duty of political friendship, without commiting the honor of your sovereign. any sudden assent to the proposal might possibly be considered as committing the faith of the united states.
8. to confound. [an obsolete latinism.] committing short and long [quantities].
9. To give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to intrust; to consign; used with to, unto.
10. To put in charge of a jailor; to imprison.
11. To do; to perpetrate, as a crime, sin, or fault.
12. To join for a contest; to match; followed by with.
13. To pledge or bind; to compromise, expose, or endanger by some decisive act or preliminary step; often used reflexively; as, to commit one's self to a certain course.
14. To confound.
15. To sin; esp., to be incontinent. cause to be admitted; of persons to an institution; "After the second episode, she had to be committed"; "he was committed to prison".
16. 1. If someone commits a crime or a sin, they do something illegal or bad. I have never committed any crime This is a man who has committed murder.
17. If someone commits suicide, they deliberately kill themselves. There are unconfirmed reports he tried to commit suicide.
18. If you commit money or resources to something, you decide to use them for a particular purpose. They called on Western nations to commit more money to the poorest nations He should not commit American troops without the full consent of Congress.
19. If you commit yourself to something, you say that you will definitely do it. If you commit yourself to someone, you decide that you want to have a long-term relationship with them. I would advise people to think very carefully about committing themselves to working Sundays I'd like a friendship that might lead to something deeper, but I wouldn't want to commit myself too soon You don't have to commit to anything over the phone. + committed com·mit·ted He said the government remained committed to peace. a committed socialist.
20. If you do not want to commit yourself on something, you do not want to say what you really think about it or what you are going to do. It isn't their diplomatic style to commit themselves on such a delicate issue She didn't want to commit herself one way or the other.
21. If someone is committed to a hospital, prison, or other institution, they are officially sent there for a period of time. Arthur's drinking caused him to be committed to a psychiatric hospital.
22. In the British legal system, if someone is committed for trial, they are sent by magistrates to stand trial in a crown court. He is expected to be committed for trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
23. If you commit something to paper or to writing, you record it by writing it down. If you commit something to memory, you learn it so that you will remember it. She had not committed anything to paper about it I'll repeat that so you can commit it to memory.