commitment

American  

[kuh-mit-muhnt] / kəˈmɪt mənt /

noun

1. the act of committing.

2. the state of being committed.

3. the act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself.

4. a pledge or promise; obligation.

   We have made a commitment to pay our bills on time.

5. dedication; allegiance.

   They have a sincere commitment to religion.

6. perpetration or commission, as of a crime.

7. consignment, as to prison.

8. confinement to a mental institution or hospital.

   The psychiatrist recommended commitment.

9. an order, as by a court or judge, confining a person to a mental institution or hospital.

10. Law. a written order of a court directing that someone be confined in prison; mittimus.

11. Parliamentary Procedure. the act of referring or entrusting to a committee for consideration.

12. Stock Exchange.

    1. an agreement to buy or sell securities.

    2. a sale or purchase of securities.

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commitment British  

/ kəˈmɪtmənt /

noun

1. the act of committing or pledging

2. the state of being committed or pledged

3. an obligation, promise, etc that restricts one's freedom of action

4. the referral of a bill to a committee or legislature

5. Also called (esp formerly): mittimus.  law a written order of a court directing that a person be imprisoned

6. the official consignment of a person to a mental hospital or prison

7. commission or perpetration, esp of a crime

8. a future financial obligation or contingent liability

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Other Word Forms

• noncommitment noun
• precommitment adjective
• self-commitment noun

Etymology

Origin of commitment

First recorded in 1605–15; commit + -ment

Explanation

Making a commitment involves dedicating yourself to something, like a person or a cause. Before you make a commitment, think carefully. A commitment obligates you to do something. Some commitments are large, like marriage. When you take a job, you're making a commitment to show up and do the job well, and your employer makes a commitment to pay you. There are smaller commitments too. If you said you'd meet a friend at six, that's a commitment — show up or your friend will be mad. You also can speak of commitment as a quality. Staying after school for a study group shows your commitment to good grades.

Example Sentences

The partnership is the most recent effort in Waymo’s long-standing commitment to making roads safer, Arielle Fleisher, the company’s policy development and research manager, said in the release.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

Unity Alliance said the decision to pause the fighting "reflects a deliberate commitment to responsibility, restraint, and respect for human dignity, even in the context of ongoing conflict".

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Any type of life insurance is, for the most part, a long-term commitment.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

Nearly 70% of contracts with companies selling digital-instruction tools in recent years have exceeded the original commitment amount, the report found.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Typical of Black Lives Matter individuals who participated in the Ferguson demonstrations is activist and educator Brittany Packnett, who states that the death of Michael Brown deepened her commitment to social justice.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• engagement
• guarantee
• need
• pledge
• promise
• responsibility