What does commending mean?
"Commending" is the present participle and gerund of the verb "commend," meaning to praise someone or something formally and warmly, typically for achievement, virtue, or good conduct. It also carries an older sense of entrusting a person, thing, or even a soul to another's care or protection. The word sits in a formal register: one is far more likely to encounter it in official citations, award ceremonies, letters of recognition, or solemn farewells than in everyday chatter. A police officer might be commended for bravery; a departing colleague's work might be commended in a farewell note. Because it implies considered, often public approval rather than casual compliment, being commended carries real weight — it signals that the praise was deliberate and earned. Related forms include the noun "commendation" and the adjective "commendable."
verbPresent participle and gerund of "commend": to praise someone or something formally or enthusiastically, or to entrust a person or thing to someone's care.
- To praise someone or something formally or warmly, often for merit, achievement, or conduct.
- To entrust a person, thing, or cause to someone's care, protection, or consideration.
- To present or mention someone favorably, as in a letter or official record.
"The judge commending the young volunteers for their tireless relief work brought the audience to its feet."
"The principal commended the students for their outstanding performance at the science fair."
"In her final letter she commended her children to the care of her sister."
When Shakespeare wrote 'commend me to' a friend, he wasn't offering compliments — he was sending greetings and trust across distance in an age before text messages.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of commending
"Commending" derives from the Latin verb "commendare," formed from "com-" (an intensive prefix meaning "with" or "together") plus "mandare" ("to commit, entrust"), the same root that gives us "mandate" and "command." The verb passed into English via Old French "comender" and has been in use since the Middle Ages. Its twin senses reflect the original Latin meaning: to entrust something to someone, and by extension to speak well of what is entrusted. Cognates include "recommend," which adds the prefix "re-", and "command," from the related root via Old French.
Related word forms
How commending is actually used
"Commend" carries a formal, somewhat elevated register — it appears more often in speeches, official reports, letters, and ceremonial contexts than in casual conversation. In religious usage, "commending" someone to God ("I commend her soul") is a long-established formula. The sense of formal praise should not be confused with mere recommendation.
Easily confused with commending
"Recommend" means to suggest or endorse something as suitable, while "commend" means to praise it or formally express approval of it — you may recommend a book without praising it effusively, and commend a person without suggesting anything be done.