committee
/kəˈmɪt.i/
A committee suggests a structured, formal delegation of authority. It is not just any group of people, but one specifically tasked with a mandate or a set of goals by a higher body. While it implies organization and collaboration, in modern professional contexts, "committee" often carries a slight negative connotation of inefficiency or slow progress (e.g., "death by committee"), where the need for consensus overrides decisive action. It differs from a "team" in that a team usually works together on a task, whereas a committee often governs, reviews, or oversees processes and policies.
Used to count distinct organized bodies, such as when a city has several different committees for zoning, parks, and finance.
💬Casual Conversation
I'm totally gutted. The ethics committee just shot down my request for more Earth-sim air.
Stop whining. Just suck it up and do your logs.
Meanings
A group of people appointed or elected to manage a particular function, investigate a specific issue, or make decisions on behalf of a larger organization.
"The steering committee met every Tuesday to discuss the project's progress."
Etymology
Derived from the Middle French word committe, which evolved from the Latin committere, meaning to entrust or bring together. The term originally referred to the act of committing a task to a specific group of people, eventually shifting from the action of entrustment to the name of the body of people entrusted with the responsibility.