commit
com·mit AW [commit commits committed committing] BrE [kəˈmɪt] NAmE [kəˈmɪt] verb (-tt-)
CRIME
1. transitive ~ a crime, etc. to do sth wrong or illegal
•to commit murder/adultery
• Most crimes are committed by young men.
•appalling crimes committed against innocent children
SUICIDE
2. transitive ~ suicide to kill yourself deliberately
PROMISE/SAY DEFINITELY
3. transitive, often passive to promise sincerely that you will definitely do sth, keep to an agreement or arrangement, etc
•~ sb/yourself (to sth/to doing sth) The President is committed to reforming health care.
• Borrowers should think carefully before committing themselves to taking out a loan.
•~ sb/yourself to do sth Both sides committed themselves to settle the dispute peacefully.
4. transitive ~ 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. intransitive ~ (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. transitive ~ sth to spend money or time on sth/sb
•The council has committed large amounts of money to housing projects.
TO HOSPITAL/PRISON
7. transitive, often passive ~ 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. transitive ~ sb to send sb for trial in court
STH TO MEMORY
9. transitive ~ sth to memory to learn sth well enough to remember it exactly
•She committed the instructions to memory.
STH TO PAPER/WRITING
10. transitive ~ sth to paper/writing to write sth down
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Latin committere ‘join, entrust’ (in medieval Latin ‘put into custody’), from com- ‘with’ + mittere ‘put or send’.
Example Bank:
•He denied conspiring to commit robberies in April last year.
•He has now committed us to buying the house.
•He was punished for a murder he did not commit.
•Her father had committed suicide.
•I had committed a faux pas by referring to her ex-husband.
•The University committed substantial funds to assisting mature students.
•The attackers were committed for trial at Bristol Crown Court.
•Was she capable of committing a crime?
•We need people to commit themselves to regular voluntary work.
•committing an act of violence
•Both candidates refused to commit themselves to tax cuts.
•He had never committed himself to any ideology.
•I don't know what his opinion is. He won't commit himself.
•Several countries were reluctant to commit themselves to the treaty.
•The party was committed to reforming the electoral system.
•We heard of some of the appalling crimes committed against innocent children.
•What leads someone to commit murder?
•You don't have to commit yourself now, just think about it.
|
|
