v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Commuted; p. pr. & vb. n. Commuting. ] [ L. commutare, -mutatum; com- + mutare to change. See Mutation. ] 1. To exchange; to put or substitute something else in place of, as a smaller penalty, obligation, or payment, for a greater, or a single thing for an aggregate; hence, to lessen; to diminish; as, to commute a sentence of death to one of imprisonment for life; to commute tithes; to commute charges for fares. [ 1913 Webster ]

The sounds water and fire, being once annexed to those two elements, it was certainly more natural to call beings participating of the first “watery”, and the last “fiery”, than to commute the terms, and call them by the reverse. J. Harris [ 1913 Webster ]

The utmost that could be obtained was that her sentence should be commuted from burning to beheading. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To obtain or bargain for exemption or substitution; to effect a commutation. [ 1913 Webster ]

He . . . thinks it unlawful to commute, and that he is bound to pay his vow in kind. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To pay, or arrange to pay, in gross instead of part by part; as, to commute for a year's travel over a route. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. to travel regularly from a place of residence to another place, such as where one's daily work is performed. Often, such travel is performed between a suburb and a nearby city; as, to commute to work. [ PJC ]

n. One who commutes; especially, one who commutes in traveling. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. of or pertaining to commuting, in the sense of traveling; used for commuting; as, a commuter airline. [ PJC ]