Commute

/kəˈmjuːt/

verbBeginner🔥Very CommonAction
2 meanings2 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

To travel regularly between one's home and place of work.

/kəˈmjuːt/

verbneutralBeginner
Action

To travel regularly between work and home.

She commutes by car.

💡 Simply: Commuting is like a daily adventure—you go from your home to work and back again! It's your regular trip to and from your job.

👶 For kids: Going back and forth to work every day.

More Examples

2

He commutes an hour each way.

How It's Used

Daily Life

"I commute to work by train every day."

2

The journey between home and place of work.

/ˈkɒmjuːt/

nounneutralBeginner
Travel

The journey between home and work.

My commute is terrible in rush hour.

💡 Simply: Your commute is the trip you take to get to work and back home. It could be driving, biking, or even taking a bus!

👶 For kids: The ride to and from your work.

More Examples

2

The commute is longer in the winter.

How It's Used

Daily Life

"My commute takes about an hour."

Tip:Think of 'commute' as the 'com'ing and 'mute'ing of your location—changing between home and work.

From Latin *commutare "to exchange," from *com- "together" + mutare "to change." Originally referred to exchanging or substituting one thing for another; the modern meaning developed from the idea of exchanging home life for work life and vice versa.

While the word's Latin roots suggest exchange, its modern usage solidified around the 19th century with the rise of industrialization and mass transit.

Memory tip

Think of 'com' (together) and 'mute' (to change your location), implying a regular change of location between home and work.

Word Origin

Original meaning

"to exchange"

daily commutelong commuteshort commutecommute by traincommute to work

Common misspellings

comutecomittcommit

Usage

25%Spoken
75%Written