commutation

noun

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com·mu·ta·tion | \ ˌkäm-yə-ˈtā-shən

, -yü- \

Definition of commutation

1 : exchange, trade

2 : replacement specifically : a substitution of one form of payment or charge for another a commutation by money payment for the exacted service

3 : a change of a legal penalty or punishment to a lesser one commutation of a death sentence

4 : an act or process of commuting … a ridge of hills makes daily commutation to San Francisco arduous. — The New York Times

5 : the action of commutating

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Examples of commutation in a Sentence

He appealed for a commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment. an international commutation of food for oil

Recent Examples on the Web The death penalty case of Julius Jones, which has caught the attention of people across the country, including multiple celebrities, was recommended for commutation by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board on Monday. — NBC News, 13 Sep. 2021 Prater’s other active role is in opposing Jones’s bid for commutation. — Washington Post, 4 Sep. 2021 Another federal prosecutor visited the following year, promising to advocate for a commutation if the young man testified against a drug gang, the lawsuit says. — Eliott C. Mclaughlin, CNN, 31 July 2021 Jones claimed in his commutation filing that the gun and bandana were planted there by the actual killer. — BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2021 After nearly 40 years behind bars, Gilbert’s commutation provides his first real shot at freedom, with an anticipated hearing with the parole board about six weeks away. — Megan Cassidy, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Aug. 2021 Perovich also argued that Taft’s commutation had occurred without his request or consent. — David Reamer, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Aug. 2021 Hutchinson told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in an email statement on Thursday that the power of commutation and pardons is something a governor should be able to handle. — Stephen Simpson, Arkansas Online, 2 Aug. 2021 Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, meanwhile, had a different take on the commutation, saying Trump got it right. — Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 10 Aug. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'commutation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.