English
commit
Etymology

Borrowed from Latin committō, from com- ("together") + mittō ("to send").

Pronunciation
  • IPA: /kəˈmɪt/
Verb

commit (third-person singular simple present commits, present participle committing, simple 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 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act V, scene iii], page 52 ↗, column 1:
      Bid him farwell, commit him to the Graue,
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, 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: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC ↗, 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 imprison: to forcibly place in a jail.
  3. (transitive) To forcibly evaluate and treat in a medical facility, particularly for presumed mental illness.
    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
    to commit suicide
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Exodus 20:4 ↗:
      Thou shalt not commit adultery.
  5. (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
    • 8 March, 1769, Junius, letter to the Duke of Grafton
      You might have satisfied every duty of political friendship, without committing the honour of your sovereign.
    • 1803, John Marshall, The Life of George Washington:
      Any sudden assent to the proposal […] might possibly be considered as committing the faith of the United States.
  6. (transitive, computing, databases) To make a set of changes permanent.
  7. (transitive, programming) To integrate new revisions into the public or master version of a file in a version control system.
  8. (intransitive, obsolete) To enter into a contest; to match; often followed by with.
    • 1616, Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Poetaster. [To the Reader.]”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, →OCLC ↗, page 348 ↗:
      For, in theſe ſtrifes, and on ſuch perſons, were as wretched to affect a victorie, as it is vnhappy to be committed with them.
  9. (transitive, obsolete, Latinism) To confound.
    • 1673, John Milton, “[Sonnet] XIII. To Mr. H. Lawes, on his Aires.”, in Poems, &c. upon Several Occasions, London: […] Tho[mas] Dring […], →OCLC ↗, 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;
  10. (obsolete, intransitive) To commit an offence; especially, to fornicate.
    • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter XII, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC ↗:
      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 […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act III, scene iv], pages 297–298 ↗, column 2:
      [K]eepe thy words Iusſtice, ſweare not, commit not, with mans ſworne Spouſe;
  11. (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, volume II, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC ↗, 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: […]
  12. (euphemistic) die from suicide.
Synonyms
  • (forcibly treat) 5150 (US slang); section (UK slang)
  • (integrate new revisions into the public version of a file) check in
Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations
  • German: committen
Noun

commit (plural commits)

  1. (computing, databases) The act of committing (e.g. a database transaction), making it a permanent change; such a change.
  2. (programming) The submission of source code or other material to a source control repository.
  3. (informal, sports, chiefly, US) A person, especially a high school athlete, who agrees verbally or signs a letter committing to attend a college or university.
Synonyms Translations Translations

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