commute
Elementary (A2)
IPA: /kəˈmjuːt/
KK: /kəˈmjuːt/
intransitive verb
Definition
To travel regularly between one's home and place of work or study.
Example
Every day, she commutes to the city for her job.
Tense Forms
Past: commuted
Past Participle: commuted
Conversation
How long does your commute take each day?
It usually takes me about 30 minutes by train.
That's not too bad — mine can take over an hour sometimes.
I know, right? I wish I could shorten my commute.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
travel
journey
transit
Antonyms
stay
remain
idle
noun
Definition
A journey that a person takes regularly to get to and from work or school.
Example
My daily commute takes about 30 minutes by train.
Conversation
How was your commute today?
It was pretty smooth, actually!
That's great to hear! Mine was longer than usual because of traffic.
transitive verb
Definition
To change something to a less severe form or to exchange one thing for another.
Example
The judge decided to commute the prisoner's sentence to a shorter term.
Tense Forms
Past: commuted
Past Participle: commuted
Conversation
Did you hear about the new policy at work?
Yeah, I heard they might commute some of the deadlines.
That's good because they were pretty strict before.
Root Explanation
Commute → It is formed from "com-" (meaning together) and "mutare" (meaning to change). The word refers to the act of changing one's location together with others, typically in the context of traveling to work or school.
Memory Tip
Think of 'together' ('com-') and 'change' ('mutare') to remember that 'commute' means to change locations together, like traveling to work.
Visually Confused Words
compute
uncommuted
computer