English
commit
Pronunciation
  • IPA: /kəˈmɪt/
Verb

commit (commits, present participle committing; past and past participle committed)

  1. (transitive) To give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to entrust; to consign; used with to or formerly unto.
    • c. 1588–1593, William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act V, scene iii], page 52 ↗, column 1:
      Bid him farwell, commit him to the Graue,
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Psalms 37:5 ↗:
      Commit thy way vnto the Lord: trust also in him, and he shall bring it to passe.
    • 1748, [David Hume], “Essay XII. Of the Academical or Sceptical Philosophy.”, in Philosophical Essays Concerning Human Understanding, London: Printed for A[ndrew] Millar, […], OCLC 642589706 ↗, part III, page 256 ↗:
      If we take in hand any Volume; of Divinity or School Metaphyſics, for Inſtance; let us aſk, Does it contain any abſtract Reaſonings concerning Quantity or Number? No. Does it contain any experimental Reaſonings concerning Matters of Fact or Exiſtence? No. Commit it then to the Flames: For it can contain nothing but Sophiſtry and Illuſion.
  2. (transitive) To put in charge of a jailer; to imprison.
    • These two were committed.
  3. (transitive) To have (a person) enter an establishment, such as a hospital or asylum, as a patient.
    Tony should be committed to a nuthouse!
  4. (transitive) To do (something bad); to perpetrate, as a crime, sin, or fault.
    to commit murder
    to commit a series of heinous crimes
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Exodus 20:4 ↗:
      Thou shalt not commit adultery.
  5. To join a contest; to match; followed by with.
  6. (ambitransitive) To pledge or bind; to compromise, expose, or endanger by some decisive act or preliminary step. (Traditionally used only reflexively but now also without oneself etc.)
    to commit oneself to a certain action
    to commit to a relationship
    • You might have satisfied every duty of political friendship, without committing the honour of your sovereign.
    • Any sudden assent to the proposal […] might possibly be considered as committing the faith of the United States.
  7. (transitive, computing) To make a set of changes permanent.
  8. (transitive, obsolete, Latinism) To confound.
    • 1673, John Milton, “Sonnet XIII. To Mr. H. Lawes, on his Aires.”, in Poems, &c. upon Several Occaſions., London: Printed for Tho. Dring […] , OCLC 1050806759 ↗, page 57 ↗:
      Harry whoſe tuneful and well meaſur'd Song
       Firſt taught our Engliſh Muſick how to ſpan
       Words with juſt note and accent, not to ſcan
       With Midas Ears, committing ſhort and long;
  9. (obsolete, intransitive) To commit an offence; especially, to fornicate.
    • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes, […], book II, printed at London: By Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821 ↗:
      the sonne might one day bee found committing with his mother […].
    • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act III, scene iv]:
      Commit not with man's sworn spouse.
  10. (obsolete, intransitive) To be committed or perpetrated; to take place; to occur.
    • 1749, Henry Fielding, chapter VIII, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. In Six Volumes, volume II, London: Printed by A[ndrew] Millar, […], OCLC 928184292 ↗, book IV, page 51 ↗:
      As a vaſt Herd of Cows in a rich Farmer's Yard, if, while they are milked, they hear their Calves at a Diſtance, lamenting the Robbery which is then committing, roar and bellow: So roared forth the Somerſetſhire Mob an Hallaloo, made up of almoſt as many Squawls, Screams, and other different Sounds, as there were Perſons, or indeed Paſſions, among them: {{...}
Related terms Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Noun

commit (plural commits)

  1. (computing) The act of committing (e.g. a database transaction or source code into a source control repository), making it a permanent change.
Translations
  • French: commit
  • German: Commit
  • Italian: commit
  • Russian: комми́т


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