commutation
/kɒmjuːˈteɪʃən/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 2.43 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
4
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Specifically, the substitution of one kind of payment for another, especially a switch to monetary payment from obligations of labour.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Professor Postan has argued in favour of a rapid move towards commutation in the twelfth century which slackened or even went into reverse in the course of the thirteenth."
- "Monsieur the Marquis de Sade [was] now holed up in one of his châteaux while his wife worked for the commutation of a sentence passed on him recently for poisoning and buggery."
- "but there was no city officer to stand forth and ask for it — not even so much as to require frequent trains, low fares, and commutations on that part of the road which ran within the city limits."
- "These permit the limited number willing to abandon their automobiles for long hikes to visit some of the most rugged terrain in Southern California. Major resort centers with substantial year-around residence (and much commutation) occur in the western Santa Monica Mountains, the San Bernardino Mountains, and around Idyllwild in the San Jacinto."
- "After decades of complaint that cities are exploited by suburban commuters, the American metropolis is experiencing more and more commutation in the other direction. In some metropolitan areas, there is as much commutation out of the city as into it."
- "When Mary worked as an adjunct, she deliberately never calculated how much commutation and the babysitter were costing because she suspected that she was probably losing money on the deal."
Etymology
From French commutation, from Latin commūtātiōnem, accusative singular of commūtātiō.
Origin
- Source language: French
Word Breakdown
- Root: commutation, commūtātiōnem
Regional Pronunciation
- British English: /kɒmjuːˈteɪʃən/