这个名词来自动词commit，大致意义是“承诺”、“坚守”、“义务”、“信念”、“力量或精神的投入”、“努力”，翻译时要看全文灵活处理。
their commitment to striving for peace他们为和平而努力的义务
Europe, especially Northern Europe, has made a major commitment to wind power, and they're generating a significant percentage of their power that way. (Newsweek, Oct. 17, 2005, p. 46) 欧洲，尤其是北欧，已经下了很大力量开发风能，他们的电力已经有很大一个百分比是靠风能发电的。
Despite the rhetorical concern of Western donor governments, the commitments have been astonishingly stingy. (New York Review of Books, March 14, 2002, p. 30) 尽管西方各捐赠国的政府口头上表示关心，但是作出的努力却是吝啬得令人吃惊。
She had frankly confessed to only two affairs, each without emotional commitment and both ultimately disappointing.她坦率地承认自己只谈过两次恋爱，每次在感情上都没有投入，而且两次结果都很失望。
We should make a national commitment to develop flu vaccine technology fit for the 21st century. (US News & World Report, Feb. 9, 2004, p. 61)我们必须全国大力发展适合21世纪的流感疫苗技术。
What sort of commitments is the administration prepared to make to restore stability to Iraq and the region? 政府准备作出怎么样的努力来恢复伊拉克和这个地区的稳定？
He may have to miss the debate to honor his commitment. 他可能不得不错过这次辩论，以免爽约。
Yet even for those not keen on spy stories, this movie is worth the commitment. 即使是那些对间谍故事不感兴趣的人，这部片子也值得一看。