commit

/kəˈmɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /kəˈmɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /kə-ˈmit/ (ame, mw)

commit — verb

1. to carry out an act that is against the law or that society considers morally wr

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to carry out an act that is against the law or that society considers morally wrong

例句

A bank employee committed fraud by secretly moving money out of customer accounts.

collocation: commit fraud / commit a crime

Tomás could not believe his cousin had committed an armed robbery at the downtown bank.

commit + specific crime (robbery, murder, theft)

同義詞
  • perpetrate

    more formal and always negative; used mainly in legal contexts

  • carry out

    neutral tone; works for both positive and negative actions

  • do

    generic; needs context to signal wrongdoing

反義詞
  • prevent

    stop a crime from happening before it is carried out

文法句型

commit + crime/offense/act

用法筆記

Object is always a negative act — a crime, offense, sin, violation, or morally wrong deed. You cannot commit a kindness or a favor. The fixed collocation 'commit suicide' belongs here: suicide is treated as a wrong act.

常見錯誤

❌He committed a mistake on the test.
✅He made a mistake on the test.
💡'commit' is for serious wrongdoing, not everyday errors.
❌She committed a good deed.
✅She did a good deed.
💡'commit' carries a negative connotation and is not used for positive actions.

2. to put your time, money, effort, or loyalty into a person, organization, or acti

2.動詞及物 / 不及物C2
釋義

to put your time, money, effort, or loyalty into a person, organization, or activity because you believe it is important

例句

Both parents committed themselves to helping their son finish his university degree.

reflexive: commit oneself to + gerund

The city council committed half a million dollars to building a new public library.

commit + money + to + noun phrase

同義詞
  • devote

    very similar; 'devote' emphasises personal dedication while 'commit' emphasises obligation

  • pledge

    more formal; used for promises of support or money

  • dedicate

    slightly more emotional; often used for life purpose or art

反義詞
  • withhold

    refuse to give time, money, or support

文法句型

commit + object + to + noun/gerund

commit to + noun/gerund

commit oneself to + noun/gerund

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (CRIME): here 'commit' takes resources (time, money, energy) or a reflexive pronoun (oneself), followed by 'to'. The intransitive form 'commit to [something]' is common in business and personal relationships.

常見錯誤

❌I committed to go to the party.
✅I committed to going to the party.
💡'to' is a preposition here, followed by a gerund or noun, not an infinitive.
❌She committed her time for the project.
✅She committed her time to the project.
💡'commit to' is the standard collocation, not 'commit for'.

3. to state an opinion or position openly, without necessarily dedicating resources

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

to state an opinion or position openly, without necessarily dedicating resources to it

例句

The senator committed herself to the position that taxes on middle-class families should be lowered.

reflexive: commit oneself to + that-clause position

Rohan committed to the position that public college tuition should be free for low-income students.

commit to + the position that + clause (stated opinion)

同義詞
  • declare

    more formal; implies a public announcement

  • state

    neutral; simply says what one thinks without the implication of a binding position

  • affirm

    formal; suggests a firm, confident statement

反義詞
  • waiver

    to avoid stating a firm opinion; to be vague

文法句型

commit oneself to + noun/that-clause

commit to + noun

用法筆記

Almost always used with a reflexive pronoun (commit oneself). Frequently appears in political, legal, or formal contexts where a person is expected to take a public stand. The negative form 'refuse to commit oneself' is very common.

常見錯誤

❌The manager committed that the project will finish on time.
✅The manager committed himself to finishing the project on time.
💡this sense requires 'oneself to' before stating the position.

4. to learn something carefully so that you can recall it exactly without looking a

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

to learn something carefully so that you can recall it exactly without looking at notes

例句

The actress committed all her lines to memory before the first rehearsal began.

fixed phrase: commit [something] to memory

Mrs. Yamada asked her students to commit the haiku to memory before Friday's recitation.

passive: be asked to commit [something] to memory

同義詞
  • memorize

    the standard modern term; more direct and everyday

  • learn by heart

    common in classroom contexts; suggests word-for-word recall

反義詞
  • forget

    to lose information from memory

文法句型

commit + object + to memory

用法筆記

Chiefly used in the fixed phrase 'commit to memory.' In modern everyday language, 'memorize' or 'learn by heart' are more common. This sense sounds slightly formal or traditional.

5. to write something in a permanent form so that it is recorded or preserved for l

5.動詞及物B2
釋義

to write something in a permanent form so that it is recorded or preserved for later use

例句

The secretary committed the meeting notes to paper before anyone left the room.

fixed phrase: commit to paper

Jin committed the agreed price and delivery date to writing before signing the contract.

fixed phrase: commit to writing

同義詞
  • write down

    the everyday equivalent; much more common in speech

  • put in writing

    slightly more formal; emphasises creating a permanent record

  • record

    general term; can include audio or video

  • note down

    briefer; suggests jotting quick points

反義詞
  • erase

    to remove written content

文法句型

commit + object + to paper/writing

用法筆記

Chiefly used in the fixed phrases 'commit to paper' and 'commit to writing.' This sense is formal or literary in tone. In everyday speech, 'write down' or 'put in writing' are far more common.

6. to send a person to prison or a psychiatric hospital through an official legal p

6.動詞及物B2
釋義

to send a person to prison or a psychiatric hospital through an official legal process

例句

The judge committed the convicted drug dealer to a maximum-security prison for twenty years.

After the psychiatric evaluation, the court committed the patient to a mental health facility.

collocation: committed to a psychiatric/mental health facility

同義詞
  • send to prison

    the everyday equivalent; less formal than 'commit'

  • confine

    more general; can mean restrict someone to any enclosed space

  • incarcerate

    strictly for prison; very formal

反義詞
  • release

    to set free from an institution

文法句型

commit + person + to + institution

be committed to + institution

用法筆記

Almost always used in the passive voice ('be committed to prison/hospital'). The active form is rare and usually judicial ('the judge committed him'). The institution is named after 'to': prison, psychiatric hospital, mental health facility, or similar.

常見錯誤

❌The police committed the thief to jail.
✅The judge committed the thief to prison.
💡only a court or legal authority can 'commit' someone. The police arrest and detain.

7. to move a case upward in the court system so that a more senior court will hear

7.動詞及物C1
釋義

to move a case upward in the court system so that a more senior court will hear the trial or decide the sentence

例句

The local magistrate committed the theft case to a higher criminal court for trial by jury.

legal: commit a case to a higher court

The defendant was committed to a higher court for sentencing on the drug charges.

passive: be committed to [court] for sentencing

同義詞
  • remand

    common in US law; can also mean sending a case back to a lower court

  • transfer

    general legal term; less specific to higher court referral

文法句型

commit + case/person + to + court

用法筆記

A technical legal term used mainly in British and Commonwealth legal systems. In American English, 'remand' or 'transfer' is more common for sending a case to a higher court. Frequently passive.