commute

commute

verb abate, abbreviate, abridge, allay, alter, ameliorate, bate, change, change penalties, curtail, cut, decrease a punishment, dilute, diminish, ease, exchange penalties, lessen, lighten, limit, make less extreme, make less harsh, make less intense, make less rigorrus, make less rough, make less severe, make lighter, make milder, meliorate, minimize, mitigate, modify sentence, reduce, reduce a punishment, reduce in asperity, relax severity, relieve, render less difficult, shorten, shrink, slacken, slash, soften, substitute, temper, tone down, trim, truncate
Associated concepts: commute a sentence

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See also: alter, convert, replace, transform

commute

to reduce (a sentence) to one less severe.

TO COMMUTE. To substitute one punishment in the place of another. For example, if a man be sentenced to be hung, the executive may, in some states, commute his punishment to that of imprisonment.