[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

commute \commute"\ ko^mm=ut", v. t. imp.  p. p.
   commuted; p. pr.  vb. n. commuting. l. commutare,
   -mutatum; com- + mutare to change. see mutation.
   1. to exchange; to put or substitute something else in place
      of, as a smaller penalty, obligation, or payment, for a
      greater, or a single thing for an aggregate; hence, to
      lessen; to diminish; as, to commute a sentence of death to
      one of imprisonment for life; to commute tithes; to
      commute charges for fares.
      1913 webster

            the sounds water and fire, being once annexed to
            those two elements, it was certainly more natural to
            call beings participating of the first "watery", and
            the last "fiery", than to commute the terms, and
            call them by the reverse.             --j. harris
      1913 webster

            the utmost that could be obtained was that her
            sentence should be commuted from burning to
            beheading.                            --macaulay.
      1913 webster
see also:
commuted commuting mutation 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

commute \commute"\, v. i.
   1. to obtain or bargain for exemption or substitution; to
      effect a commutation.
      1913 webster

            he . . . thinks it unlawful to commute, and that he
            is bound to pay his vow in kind.      --jer. taylor.
      1913 webster

   2. to pay, or arrange to pay, in gross instead of part by
      part; as, to commute for a year's travel over a route.
      1913 webster

   3. to travel regularly from a place of residence to another
      place, such as where one's daily work is performed. often,
      such travel is performed between a suburb and a nearby
      city; as, to commute to work.
      pjc

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

commute
     v 1: transpose and remain equal in value; "these operators
          commute with each other" syn: transpose
     2: travel back and forth regularly, as between one's place of
        work and home syn: travel back and forth
     3: change the order or arrangement of; "dyslexics often
        transpose letters in a word" syn: permute, transpose
     4: exchange a penalty for a less severe one syn: convert, exchange
     5: exchange or replace with another, usually of the same kind
        or category; "could you convert my dollars into pounds?";
        "he changed his name"; "convert centimeters into inches";
        "convert holdings into shares" syn: change, exchange,
         convert
see also:
transpose travel back and forth permute convert exchange change 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

69 moby thesaurus words for "commute":
   alternate, bandy, be quits with, change, change for, compensate,
   compound for, convert, cooperate, counterchange, course,
   cover ground, dub in, exchange, fare, fare forth, fetch, flit,
   flow, gang, get back at, get even with, give and take,
   give place to, go, go along, hie, interchange, logroll,
   make do with, make way for, metamorphose, move, move along,
   move on, offer in exchange, pass, pay back, permute, progress,
   put up with, reciprocate, redeem, requite, respond, retaliate,
   return, return the compliment, ring in, roll, roll on, run, sashay,
   shift with, stream, substitute, swap, switch, take in exchange,
   trade, transfer, transfigure, translate, transmogrify, transmute,
   transpose, travel, wayfare, wend

Commute >> C Words
Commute, definition of term: Commute
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