Commuted

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Having changed a punishment to a less severe one by official decision
2. Refers to the act of substituting a lighter sentence for a harsher one ordered by a legal authority
3. Describes when a previously imposed penalty is officially lowered or altered to a milder form

Etymology: The verb "commute" started out in Latin as "commūtō," meaning to change something completely, from "com-" (together, thoroughly) and "mūtō" (to change). English borrowed it directly from that Latin verb, and its older sense was simply exchanging one thing for another. The legal meaning of swapping a heavy punishment for a lighter one came from this idea of exchange: a sentence was traded for a milder one. The word's other famous meaning, travelling back and forth to work, grew out of a different development. In American English, "commutation ticket" referred to a pass on a railroad or streetcar line that allowed many rides over a period such as a month for one payment. Because the payment was "commuted," or reduced into a single sum, the ticket's name shortened to "commuter" for the people who used it, and the verb followed, meaning to travel regularly between home and work.