committed

Committed is the past participle of the verb commit and is used as an adjective in several senses. It can describe a person who is devoted, loyal, or highly engaged with a cause, project, or relationship—for example, a committed volunteer or a committed teammate. It can also describe something that is firmly decided or bound by obligation, as in a committed policy or a committed partnership. In more formal contexts, committed can indicate a state of custody or care, such as a person who is committed to prison or to a mental health facility.

Originating from Latin committere, meaning to entrust, join, or undertake, committed covers a range of meanings in English. The verb to commit can refer to performing an act (including a crime), entrusting someone with responsibility, or dedicating oneself to a task. The phrase to commit something to memory means to memorize it, while to commit a crime means to carry out an unlawful act.

Usage notes emphasize that committed carries a positive connotation when describing personal dedication, but may be neutral or negative in legal or criminal contexts, depending on the sense used. Common collocations include committed to the cause, a committed relationship, and committed to memory, as well as its noun form, commitment.

See also: commit, commitment, commitment to memory.