Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Commute
Com-mute′
(kŏm-mūt′)
, Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Commuted
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Commuting
.] 1.
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 faresThe 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. J. Harris
The utmost that could be obtained was that her sentence should be
commuted
from burning to beheading. Macaulay.
Com-mute′
,Verb.
I.
1.
To obtain or bargain for exemption or substitution; to effect a commutation.
He . . . thinks it unlawful to
commute
, and that he is bound to pay his vow in kind. Jer. Taylor.
2.
To pay, or arrange to pay, in gross instead of part by part;
as, to
. commute
for a year’s travel over a routeWebster 1828 Edition
Commute
COMMUTE
, v.t.1.
To exchange; to put one thing in the place of another; to give or receive one thing for another; as, to commute our labors; to commute pain for pleasure.2.
In law, to exchange one penalty or punishment for another of less severity; as, to commute death for transportation.COMMUTE
,Verb.
I.