What does committable mean?
Committable is a rare formal adjective meaning capable of being committed — that is, able to be carried out, perpetrated, or formally referred to a court or other authority. It derives from the verb commit, which entered English from Latin roots meaning 'to bring together' or 'to entrust'. The word appears almost exclusively in legal and administrative contexts. A judge might describe an act as a committable offence, meaning one that can lawfully be prosecuted or punished, while psychiatrists and legislators use it of persons whose circumstances render them committable to an institution under a mental health statute. Because ordinary speakers rarely need the term, it carries a distinctly technical register; in casual speech people prefer phrases such as 'can be committed'. Its value lies precisely in this precision: within legal writing it condenses what would otherwise require a longer clause into a single economical modifier.
adjectiveAble to be committed; capable of being carried out, perpetrated, or referred to a court or institution. In legal contexts it describes acts or offences that may lawfully be committed or that warrant formal commitment proceedings.
- Capable of being perpetrated or carried out (of an offence, act, or crime).
- Subject to legal commitment, i.e. able to be formally referred to a court, tribunal, or institution such as a psychiatric facility.
"Forgery remains a committable offence even when attempted digitally."
"The judge noted that contempt of court was a committable offence under the new statute."
"Doctors assessed whether his condition made him committable under the mental health act."
Rare enough to stump most dictionaries, 'committable' turns the everyday verb 'commit' into a lawyer's yardstick for whether an act can legally land you in trouble.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of committable
Committable is formed from the verb commit plus the adjective-forming suffix -able. Commit itself came into Middle English around the late 14th century from Latin committere, meaning 'to bring together, entrust, or perpetrate', formed from com- ('together') and mittere ('to send'). The suffix -able likewise descends from Latin -abilis via Old French. English thus built the word entirely from Latinate parts, making it cognate with terms such as commission, committee, mission, and permit, all of which trace back to the same root mittere.
Related word forms
How committable is actually used
A rare, chiefly legal and formal word. It appears mostly in statutory language and legal commentary rather than everyday speech, where paraphrases like 'can be committed' are more common.
Easily confused with committable
'Committed' is the past form of the verb commit (or describes dedication), whereas 'committable' is an adjective meaning capable of being committed.