commutative

adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"commutative" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“commutative” is uncommon English (frequency #52,230 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,230
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Such that the order in which the operands are taken does not affect their image under the operation.

Key facts for commutative
PropertyValue
Headwordcommutative
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
Letters11
Frequency rank#52,230
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “commutative” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). commutative lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

commutative is uncommon English at frequency #52,230 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anadjective. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for commutative, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French commuter (“to substitute or switch”) + -ative (“tending to”). See commute. The correct English form is commutative, spelled C-O-M-M-U-T-A-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Such that the order in which the operands are taken does not affect their image under the operation.
  2. 2
    Having a commutative operation.
  3. 3
    Such that any two sequences of morphisms with the same initial and final positions compose to the same morphism.
  4. 4
    Relating to exchange; interchangeable.

Etymology

From French commuter (“to substitute or switch”) + -ative (“tending to”). See commute.

Synonyms

abelianAbelian

Antonyms

anticommutative

This word in other languages

commutatif(Français)kommutativ(Deutsch)comutativo(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "commutative"?
"commutative" is spelled C-O-M-M-U-T-A-T-I-V-E.
What does "commutative" mean?
As an adjective, "commutative" means: Such that the order in which the operands are taken does not affect their image under the operation.
What is the origin of the word "commutative"?
From French commuter (“to substitute or switch”) + -ative (“tending to”). See commute. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “commutative”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-M-M-U-T-A-T-I-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list