Present participle of commit; the act of pledging oneself to a course of action, relationship, or belief. Can also mean performing or carrying out an act, especially a crime.
From Latin 'committere' meaning 'to bring together, entrust', combining 'com-' (together) and 'mittere' (to send). The sense evolved from 'entrusting something to someone' to 'dedicating oneself' to something.
The word carries both positive connotations (committing to a relationship) and negative ones (committing a crime), showing how the same root concept of 'bringing together' an action with intention can have vastly different moral implications. In psychology, commitment is considered one of the three key components of love.
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