from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Commute \Com*mute"\ (k[o^]m*m[=u]t"), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
{Commuted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Commuting}.] [L. commutare,
-mutatum; com- + mutare to change. See {Mutation}.]
1. To exchange; to put or substitute something else in place
of, as a smaller penalty, obligation, or payment, for a
greater, or a single thing for an aggregate; hence, to
lessen; to diminish; as, to commute a sentence of death to
one of imprisonment for life; to commute tithes; to
commute charges for fares.
[1913 Webster]
The sounds water and fire, being once annexed to
those two elements, it was certainly more natural to
call beings participating of the first "watery", and
the last "fiery", than to commute the terms, and
call them by the reverse. --J. Harris
[1913 Webster]
The utmost that could be obtained was that her
sentence should be commuted from burning to
beheading. --Macaulay.
[1913 Webster]