commend
Americanverb (used with object)
-
commends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
commended,
past participle, past
-
commending
present participle
-
to present, mention, or praise as worthy of confidence, notice, kindness, etc.; recommend.
to commend a friend to another;
to commend an applicant for employment.
- Antonyms:
- censure
-
to entrust; give in charge; deliver with confidence.
I commend my child to your care.
-
to cite or name with approval or special praise.
to commend a soldier for bravery.
-
Feudal Law. to place (oneself or one's land) under another's protection so as to become his vassal.
-
Archaic. to recommend (a person) to the kind remembrance of another.
verb
-
to present or represent as being worthy of regard, confidence, kindness, etc; recommend
-
to give in charge; entrust
-
to express a good opinion of; praise
-
to give the regards of
commend me to your aunt
Synonym Usage
See approve.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
commendablenessnoun
-
commendernoun
-
overcommendverb (used with object)
-
commendableadjective
-
commendatoryadjective
-
commendablyadverb
-
commendinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
commendsimple
-
commendssimple
-
have commendedperfect
-
has commendedperfect
-
am commendingprogressive
-
are commendingprogressive
-
is commendingprogressive
-
have been commendingperfect progressive
-
has been commendingperfect progressive
Past
-
commendedsimple
-
had commendedperfect
-
was commendingprogressive
-
were commendingprogressive
-
had been commendingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of commend
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English commenden, from Latin commendāre, equivalent to com- com- + -mendāre, combining form of mandāre; see mandate
Explanation
Have you ever shouted "Bravo!" at the end of a play or cooed "Good boy!" to the dog when he followed a command? Then you know how to commend someone — in other words, to express approval aloud. The most common meaning of commend is "to compliment." You commend someone when you tell them "Well done!" You can even say "I commend you on your hard work." Back in the days of Charles Dickens, commend often meant to put (someone or something) in the hands of someone else for safekeeping. Case in point: David Copperfield was out of luck when his cruel stepdad commended him to the equally cruel schoolmaster Mr. Creakle at Salem house.
Vocabulary lists containing commend
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act II
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I've Been to the Mountaintop" (1968)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Much Ado About Nothing
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“We need more people to talk about this and not stay quiet. Kacey is coming from another community and stepping up, I mean, that’s big, man. That’s huge. I commend her for that,” said Muñoz.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
“Their resiliency is so pronounced; it’s special. You’ve been brave and we commend you,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
“We commend Governor Newsom for his leadership in making this much needed change a reality.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
"So, I really commend the victims in this case for their courage and their fortitude," she told Evening Extra.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
“I have to commend you two on all your extra practice. It will come in handy one day, I’m sure.”
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
The cases taken by these seat-of-the-pants sleuths are not always cloak-and-dagger—a potential client of their fledgling detective agency commends them at one point for having found someone else’s lost dog.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
The Sun also leads on the tributes at Old Trafford and commends PC Blades's sons as "brave lads".
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
In a statement, the management said it "welcomes the release of its editor and commends the courtesy, professionalism, and attentiveness demonstrated by investigators throughout the process".
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2025
Glenn Whipp also commends him for “capturing the writer’s tragic flaws and winning charm.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2024
But Dr. Clarke says, "What commends itself best to our reason, must be the truth;" therefore Mr. Savage may benefit you more.
From Miss Ellis's Mission by Mary P. Wells Smith
While declining to endorse Bass, Caruso commended the mayor by saying “she’s done her work, and she’s worked with the team, and I compliment this.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
During his first two years as the Lakers coach, Redick admired Williams’ intent on the defensive end from afar and commended the forward’s willingness to defend other teams’ star players.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
I have some doubts whether livestreaming the execution is advisable, but Mr. Hegseth should be commended for his honesty, and for showing Mr. Hasan mercy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Rodriguez has been a vocal advocate for placing the cameras across Texas and has commended their use in Laredo and elsewhere for allowing a new approach to detecting crime.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
All of the other coaches clapped for me, patted me on the back, and commended me on my skills.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
During Sharaa's last visit in January, Putin said "much has been accomplished in terms of restoring our interstate relations", commending Sharaa for his "efforts to restore Syria's territorial integrity".
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
Around a week later while speaking to steelworkers in Georgia, Trump praised the PC maker’s chief executive, commending Michael Dell and his wife for jump-starting the ‘Trump Accounts’ program.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
Gen. Rob Bonta said in a written statement commending the ruling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2025
On social media, Zanu-PF accounts have been lavishing him in praise, commending his philanthropy.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2025
Before commending himself to his destiny, however, the astronaut implored the engineers to execute one more check: a review of the orbital trajectory that had been generated by the IBM 7090 computer.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
