1. The reduction or change of a sentence, especially a criminal sentence, to a less severe one.
Usage: Legal term; commonly used in criminal justice contexts
2. The substitution of one form of payment or obligation for another, typically one that is less burdensome.
Usage: Formal or legal usage
3. In mathematics and logic, the property that the order of operations does not affect the result (e.g., a + b = b + a).
Usage: Technical; used in algebra and abstract algebra

Examples

• The governor granted commutations to several prisoners serving life sentences.
• The defendant's lawyer requested a commutation of the harsh penalty.
• Commutations of debt were sometimes offered to debtors in historical legal systems.
• In algebra, addition demonstrates commutations: 3 + 5 equals 5 + 3.
• The judge considered commutations based on the prisoner's good behavior.
• Many death row inmates have received commutations in recent years.