Plural of committal; the act of sending someone to prison, hospital, or officially transferring something to another's care.
From commit (Latin committere, 'to join together, entrust') + -al (suffix forming nouns). The word evolved from the legal practice of formally recording the commitment of a person or document.
Committal orders are fascinating legal documents—they're the official paperwork that literally changes someone's life by confining them or transferring their care, and they create a permanent record that can follow a person for years.
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