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Dictionary / commit

commit

/kəˈmɪt/ syllables: com·mit
  • verb
  • noun
  • from Latin

To give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to entrust; to consign; used with to or formerly unto.

▶ Play the mastery game

1 All current definitions

Every sense of “commit” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.

verb

  1. transitiveTo give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to entrust; to consign; used with to or formerly unto.

    Commit these numbers to memory.

  2. transitiveTo imprison: to forcibly place in a jail.
  3. transitiveTo forcibly evaluate and treat in a medical facility, particularly for presumed mental illness.

    Tony should be committed to a nuthouse!

  4. transitiveTo do (something bad); to perpetrate, as a crime, sin, or fault.

    to commit murder

  5. ambitransitiveTo 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

  6. transitiveTo make a set of changes permanent.

    When all SQL statements in the transaction are executed successfully, the transaction is committed and all the work that the SQL statements performed is made a permanent part of the database.2005, Thearon Willis, Beginning Visual Basic 2005 Databases, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 343:

  7. transitiveTo integrate new revisions into the public or master version of a file in a version control system.

    We can commit all unstaged files with one command: […]2014, Wlodzimierz Gajda, Git Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach, Apress, →ISBN, page 86:

  8. To make decisions that effectively convey elements of character.

    To make this scene land, you really have to commit.

Older & obsolete senses (4)
  1. intransitiveobsoleteTo enter into a contest; to match; often followed by with.
  2. LatinismobsoletetransitiveTo confound.
  3. intransitiveobsoleteTo commit an offence; especially, to fornicate.
  4. intransitiveobsoleteTo be committed or perpetrated; to take place; to occur.
Wiktionary: “commit” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

noun

  1. The act of committing (e.g. a database transaction), making it a permanent change; such a change.

    To support locking and process synchronization independently of transaction commits, the server provides semaphore objects[…]1988, Klaus R Dittrich, Advances in Object-Oriented Database Systems: 2nd International Workshop:

  2. The submission of source code or other material to a source control repository.
  3. USinformalA person, especially a high school athlete, who agrees verbally or signs a letter committing to attend a college or university.
Wiktionary: “commit” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
Cross-check: WordNet senses (6)
  1. verbperform an act, usually with a negative connotation — also: perpetrate, pull
  2. verbgive entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause — also: give, dedicate, consecrate, devote
  3. verbcause to be admitted; of persons to an institution — also: institutionalize, institutionalise, send, charge
  4. verbconfer a trust upon — also: entrust, intrust, trust, confide
  5. verbmake an investment — also: invest, put, place
  6. verbengage in or perform — also: practice
Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License

Synonyms: 5150, section, check in, check-in

Wiktionary: “commit” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

2 History of the word

The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.

The word’s journey, newest to oldest:

  1. English (today)commit
  2. Middle Englishcommitten
  3. Latincommittō
  4. Latincom- “together” + mittō “to send”

Inherited from Middle English committen, itself borrowed from Latin committō (“to bring together, join, compare, commit (a wrong), incur, give in charge, etc.”), from com- (“together”) + mittō (“to send”). See mission.

Wiktionary: “commit” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Derivatives — words built from “commit”

autocommitcommitmentcommittabilitycommittablecommittedcommittercommittibledecommitmiscommitnoncommittingovercommitprecommitrecommituncommitundercommit

Phrases & compounds

commit a billcommit adulterycommit chargecommit diecommit sudokucommit suicidecommitting magistratecommit to memorycommit to the bitgo commitcommit pointhypocrite committwo-phase commit

Related terms

commissioncommittalcommitteemissionnoncommittalpushstage
Wiktionary: “commit” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Want to go deeper? See also “commit” on Etymonline ↗

3 Original language

Where “commit” came from before it was English.

Came into English from
Latin
Latin committō
Oldest written form
Latin
Latin com- + mittō
Wiktionary: “commit” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

4 Original meaning

What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.

Built from
com- “together” + mittō “to send”

Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913

A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.

commit v. t. [L. committere, commissum, to connect, commit; com- + mittere to send. See Mission.]

  1. To give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to intrust; to consign; -- used with to, unto.
  2. To put in charge of a jailor; to imprison.
  3. To do; to perpetrate, as a crime, sin, or fault.
  4. To join for a contest; to match; -- followed by with.

commit v. i.

  1. To sin; esp., to be incontinent.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), public domain, via GCIDE

5 Use it with confidence

Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.

verbMeaning: To give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to entrust; to consign; used with to or formerly unto.

Commit these numbers to memory.

Bid him farwell, commit him to the Graue,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] Blou

verbMeaning: To forcibly evaluate and treat in a medical facility, particularly for presumed mental illness.

Tony should be committed to a nuthouse!

verbMeaning: To do (something bad); to perpetrate, as a crime, sin, or fault.

to commit murder

to commit a series of heinous crimes

verbMeaning: 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

verbMeaning: To make a set of changes permanent.

When all SQL statements in the transaction are executed successfully, the transaction is committed and all the work that the SQL statements performed is made a permanent part of the database.2005, Thearon Willis, Beginning Visual Basic 2005 Databases, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 343:

verbMeaning: To integrate new revisions into the public or master version of a file in a version control system.

We can commit all unstaged files with one command: […]2014, Wlodzimierz Gajda, Git Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach, Apress, →ISBN, page 86:

verbMeaning: give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause

She committed herself to the work of God

verbMeaning: cause to be admitted; of persons to an institution

After the second episode, she had to be committed

he was committed to prison

verbMeaning: confer a trust upon

I commit my soul to God

verbMeaning: engage in or perform

commit a random act of kindness

Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License
Wiktionary: “commit” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Three steps to owning it

  1. Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
  2. Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
  3. Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?

6 The mastery game

Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.

Step 1 of 9

Say it, then spell it

commit

/kəˈmɪt/ · com·mit

Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.

Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________

commit

/kəˈmɪt/ · com·mit · verb, noun

Step 1 — Say it and write it

Say “commit” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.

Step 2 — Know every meaning

Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.

1. (verb) To give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to entrust; to consign; used with to or formerly unto.
2. (verb) To imprison: to forcibly place in a jail.
3. (verb) To forcibly evaluate and treat in a medical facility, particularly for presumed mental illness.
4. (verb) To do (something bad); to perpetrate, as a crime, sin, or fault.
5. (verb) 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.)

Step 3 — Which meaning is it?

“Commit these numbers to memory.”

A. 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.)
B. To forcibly evaluate and treat in a medical facility, particularly for presumed mental illness.
C. To give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to entrust; to consign; used with to or formerly unto.

Circle the meaning used.

“Tony should be committed to a nuthouse!”

A. To integrate new revisions into the public or master version of a file in a version control system.
B. To forcibly evaluate and treat in a medical facility, particularly for presumed mental illness.
C. 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.)

Circle the meaning used.

“to commit murder”

A. To integrate new revisions into the public or master version of a file in a version control system.
B. To imprison: to forcibly place in a jail.
C. To do (something bad); to perpetrate, as a crime, sin, or fault.

Circle the meaning used.

Step 4 — History and origin

Which language did “commit” come into English from?   A. New Latin  B. Medieval Latin  C. Late Latin  D. Latin

Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):

Write three words built from “commit” and what each means:

Step 5 — Original meaning

Read the etymology on the page. What does it tell you about the word’s earlier meaning?

How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?

Step 6 — Use it yourself

Write a sentence using “commit” to mean: To give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to entrust; to consign; used with to or formerly unto.
Write a sentence using “commit” to mean: To imprison: to forcibly place in a jail.
Write a sentence using “commit” to mean: To forcibly evaluate and treat in a medical facility, particularly for presumed mental illness.

☐ I can explain its meanings   ☐ I know its history   ☐ I know its original language   ☐ I know its original meaning   ☐ I can use it confidently

Answer key — commit

Which meaning, sentence 1: C. To give in trust; to put into charge or keeping; to entrust; to consign; used with to or formerly unto.

Which meaning, sentence 2: B. To forcibly evaluate and treat in a medical facility, particularly for presumed mental illness.

Which meaning, sentence 3: C. To do (something bad); to perpetrate, as a crime, sin, or fault.

Origin: D. Latin (Latin committō)

Journey: English commit ← Middle English committen ← Latin committō ← Latin com- + mittō

Some derivatives: autocommit, commitment, committability, committable, committed, committer, committible, decommit

Built from: com- “together” + mittō “to send”

Etymology: Inherited from Middle English committen, itself borrowed from Latin committō (“to bring together, join, compare, commit (a wrong), incur, give in charge, etc.”), from com- (“together”) + mittō (“to send”). See mission.

Sources: Wiktionary “commit” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/commit#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/commit