Word Study
commute
CIDE DICTIONARY
commute, v. t. [L. commutare, -mutatum; com- + mutare to change. See Mutation.].
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." [1913 Webster]
"The utmost that could be obtained was that her sentence should be commuted from burning to beheading." [1913 Webster]
commute, v. i.
- 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." [1913 Webster]
- To pay, or arrange to pay, in gross instead of part by part; as, to commute for a year's travel over a route. [1913 Webster]
- to travel regularly from a place of residence to another place, such as where one's daily work is performed. Often, such travel is performed between a suburb and a nearby city; as, to commute to work. [PJC]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
commute, v.
1 intr. travel to and from one's daily work, usu. in a city, esp. by car or train.
2 tr. Law (usu. foll. by to) change (a judicial sentence etc.) to another less severe.
3 tr. (often foll. by into, for) a change (one kind of payment) for another. b make a payment etc. to change (an obligation etc.) for another.
4 tr. a exchange; interchange (two things). b change (to another thing).
5 tr. Electr. commutate.
6 intr. Math. have a commutative relation.
7 intr. US buy and use a season ticket.
1 intr. travel to and from one's daily work, usu. in a city, esp. by car or train.
2 tr. Law (usu. foll. by to) change (a judicial sentence etc.) to another less severe.
3 tr. (often foll. by into, for) a change (one kind of payment) for another. b make a payment etc. to change (an obligation etc.) for another.
4 tr. a exchange; interchange (two things). b change (to another thing).
5 tr. Electr. commutate.
6 intr. Math. have a commutative relation.
7 intr. US buy and use a season ticket.
Etymology
L commutare commutat- (as COM-, mutare change)
THESAURUS
commute
alternate, bandy, be quits with, change, change for, compensate, compound for, convert, cooperate, counterchange, course, cover ground, dub in, exchange, fare, fare forth, fetch, flit, flow, gang, get back at, get even with, give and take, give place to, go, go along, hie, interchange, logroll, make do with, make way for, metamorphose, move, move along, move on, offer in exchange, pass, pay back, permute, progress, put up with, reciprocate, redeem, requite, respond, retaliate, return, return the compliment, ring in, roll, roll on, run, sashay, shift with, stream, substitute, swap, switch, take in exchange, trade, transfer, transfigure, translate, transmogrify, transmute, transpose, travel, wayfare, wendROGET THESAURUS
commute
Compromise
VB compromise, commute, compound, take the mean, split the difference, meet one halfway, give and take, come to terms, submit to arbitration, abide by arbitration, patch up, bridge over, arrange, straighten out, adjust, differences, agree, make the best of, make a virtue of necessity, take the will for the deed.Substitution
VB substitute, put in the place of, change for, make way for, give place to, supply the place of, take the place of, supplant, supersede, replace, cut out, serve as a substitute, step into stand in the shoes of, jury rig, make a shift with, put up with, borrow from Peter to pay Paul, take money out of one pocket and put it in another, cannibalize, commute, redeem, compound for.Interchange
VB interchange, exchange, counterchange, bandy, transpose, shuffle, change bands, swap, permute, reciprocate, commute, give and take, return the compliment, play at puss in the corner, play at battledore and shuttlecock, retaliate, requite, rearrange, recombine.For further exploring for "commute" in Webster Dictionary Online
