# committing

/kəˈmɪtɪŋ/ (US) · /kəmˈɪtɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/committing
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. doing something wrong

verb · CEFR B1

doing something illegal or harmful, like a crime.

For teachers: the act of perpetrating a crime, error, or immoral deed.

- The police arrested the man for committing a series of robberies.
- The investigation focused on identifying the individuals responsible for committing several high-profile financial frauds over the last decade.

Usage: Always takes a direct object, usually a noun representing a negative act.

### 2. promising or staying loyal

verb · CEFR B2

promising to give your time or loyalty to a person, a job, or a goal.

For teachers: pledging oneself to a particular course of action, relationship, or belief system.

- She is not ready for committing to a long-term relationship yet.
- Committing to a rigorous daily practice is the only way to achieve professional-level fluency in a foreign language.

Usage: Often followed by the preposition 'to'.

### 3. putting in a safe place

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

putting something somewhere to keep it safe or to remember it.

For teachers: consigning something to a specific place or state for preservation or disposal.

- He spent the afternoon committing the long poem to memory.
- The diplomat was careful about committing his private thoughts to paper, fearing they might be leaked to the press.

Usage: Commonly used in the phrase 'committing to memory' or 'committing to paper'.

### 4. the act of doing

noun · CEFR C2 · Academic · Formal

the actual act of doing something.

For teachers: the action or process of performing a deed or making a pledge.

- The committing of such a mistake could cost the company millions.
- The mere committing of the act is sufficient for a conviction, regardless of the defendant's underlying intent.

## Examples

- She is committing to a new exercise routine this year.
- By signing the contract, the company is committing to reduce its carbon emissions by half over the next decade.
- While the board is committing significant resources to the expansion, they remain cautious about the volatile market conditions that could undermine their long-term investment strategy.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.