Commutation

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kɒmjuːˈteɪʃən/

Definitions

1. The act of reducing a penalty or sentence to a less severe one, or the process of substituting one form of payment or obligation for another
2. The process of converting one kind of obligation or payment into another while also referring to the adjustment of a penalty or sentence to a lesser severity
3. The process of officially shortening or easing a legal punishment ; replacing one type of payment or duty with a different one under an agreement

Etymology: Commutation began as a plain Latin verb of exchange. "Commutare" meant "to change thoroughly" or "to exchange", built from "com-" (together, thoroughly) and "mutare" (to change), and the noun "commutatio" carried the idea of an exchange or alteration. English took the noun through French, and the sense of swapping one thing for another stayed close to its origin for centuries. The meaning of "lessening of punishment" grew out of that idea of exchange. A sentence could be traded for a lighter one, so the term came to describe the substitution of a milder penalty for a harsher one. The word has since been stretched in other directions, most notably to the commuter's season ticket, which was named after the commutation of a longer fare into a single cheaper payment.

Synonyms: exchange, substitution, transmutation, conversion, interchange

Antonyms: retention, holding, keeping, maintaining, preservation