commend

verb

com·​mend kə-ˈmend How to pronounce commend (audio)
commended; commending; commends

transitive verb

1
: to entrust for care or preservation
"To Thee I do commend my watchful soul / Ere I let fall the windows of mine eyes."William Shakespeare
2
: to recommend as worthy of confidence or notice
Your proposal has much to commend it.
3
: to mention with approbation : praise
We commend you for your continuing dedication to excellence.
commendable adjective
commendably adverb
commender noun

Examples of commend in a Sentence

His poetry is highly commended by other writers. I commend this book to anyone interested in learning more about American history.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In a quote included in Dashlane’s post, the head of the organization behind the FIDO2 standard commended its efforts. Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 5 June 2025 His directorial debut, Creed III, did well at the box office — a franchise best of $276 million globally — with critics commending it as a promising first Rocky movie without Rocky. Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 2 June 2025 Assistant Police Chief Cisco Rodriguez commended the coordinated efforts of all the law enforcement agencies — which included Crown Point and Porter Police and Lake County and LaPorte County Sheriff’s Departments — for their work on the case. Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025 The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim advocacy group known as CAIR-LA, commended the LASD for investigating the incident as a hate crime. Jasmine Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for commend

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French comander, from Latin commendare, from com- + mandare to entrust — more at mandate

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of commend was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Commend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commend. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

commend

verb
com·​mend kə-ˈmend How to pronounce commend (audio)
1
: to give into another's care : entrust
2
: to speak of someone or something with approval : praise
commended her for her honesty
commendable adjective
commendably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on commend

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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