commute
kuh-MYOOT
/kəˈmjuːt/
To travel some distance between one's home and place of work on a regular basis.
Implies a repetitive, often daily journey, usually involving public transport or a car.
The story behind the word. In the 1840s, US railroads offered reduced fares to people who traveled the same route daily. These were called 'commutation tickets' because the fare was 'commuted' (reduced or changed). Eventually, the people using them became known as 'commuters'.
Word relationships
- travel: A much broader term; commute is specifically for work/home repetition.
Word family
- commuter (noun): A person who commutes.
Collocations
- daily commute
- morning commute
- long commute
Example sentences
- "She has a long commute, spending over two hours on the train every day." Describing a daily routine.
- "Working from home allows employees to skip the stressful morning commute." Discussing remote work.
Memory hook
You 'Commute' to 'Compute' (work). The work-home loop.
When not to use
Don't use it for a one-time trip or a vacation; it must be a regular work-related journey.
Fun facts
- The average American spends about 27 minutes commuting one way, which adds up to roughly 9 days a year.
Related words
Also appears in
- Law → Prisons & Rehabilitation
- Law → Clemency, Pardons & Parole
- Travel & Culture → Modes of Transportation
- Demographics & Urban Studies → Suburbanization & Sprawl
- Demographics & Urban Studies → Commuter Culture & Transit
- Everyday Transportation & Driving → Public Transit Usage
- Everyday Transportation & Driving → Bicycles & Micromobility
- Everyday Transportation & Driving → Ridesharing & Taxis
- Everyday Travel & Vacations → Road Trips
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