/ kəˈmɪt; NAmE / verb
( -tt- )
CRIME
1.
[ vn ] commit a crime, etc. to do sth wrong or illegal :
to commit murder / adultery , etc.
Most crimes are committed by young men.
appalling crimes committed against innocent children
SUICIDE
2.
[ vn ] commit suicide to kill yourself deliberately
PROMISE / SAY DEFINITELY
3.
commit sb / yourself (to sth / to doing sth) [ often passive ] to promise sincerely that you will definitely do sth, keep to an agreement or arrangement, etc. :
[ vn ]
The President is committed to reforming health care.
Borrowers should think carefully before committing themselves to taking out a loan.
[ vn to inf ]
Both sides committed themselves to settle the dispute peacefully.
4.
[ vn ] commit yourself (to sth) to give an opinion or make a decision openly so that it is then difficult to change it :
You don't have to commit yourself now, just think about it.
—see also non-committal
BE LOYAL
5.
[ v ] commit (to sb/sth) to be completely loyal to one person, organization, etc. or give all your time and effort to your work, an activity, etc. :
Why are so many men scared to commit? (= say they will be loyal to one person)
—see also committed
MONEY / TIME
6.
[ vn ] to spend money or time on sth/sb :
The council has committed large amounts of money to housing projects.
TO HOSPITAL / PRISON
7.
[ vn ] [ often passive ] commit sb to sth to order sb to be sent to a hospital, prison, etc. :
She was committed to a psychiatric hospital.
SB FOR TRIAL
8.
[ vn ] to send sb for trial in court
STH TO MEMORY
9.
[ vn ] commit sth to memory to learn sth well enough to remember it exactly :
She committed the instructions to memory.
STH TO PAPER / WRITING
10.
[ vn ] commit sth to paper / writing to write sth down
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Latin committere join, entrust (in medieval Latin put into custody), from com- with + mittere put or send.