From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcommitteecom‧mit‧tee /kəˈmɪti/ ●●● S3 W1 noun [countable]GROUP OF PEOPLE a group of people chosen to do a particular job, make decisions etccommittee of the International Committee of the Red Crosscommittee on a ministerial committee on security affairson a committee He’s on the finance committee. a committee meetingGRAMMAR: Singular or plural verb?• Committee is usually followed by a singular verb: The management committee meets regularly.• In British English, you can also use a plural verb: The management committee meet regularly.COLLOCATIONSverbsa committee meets (=has a meeting)The environmental health committee will meet again next Wednesday.be on a committee (=be a member of a committee)I was on the parents' committee at my kids' school.serve/sit on a committee (=be a member of an important committee)Our organization is always in need of volunteers to serve on the committee.chair a committee (=be the person in charge of a committee)Professor Peacock was appointed to chair the committee.appoint/set up/form a committeeThe council appointed a special committee to study the issue.join a committeeI was invited to join a committee to plan the summer carnival.leave a committeeAfter three years, she decided to leave the committee.stand down from a committee (=leave it)Everyone was sorry when he stood down from the committee.committee + NOUNa committee meetingThere's a committee meeting once a month.a committee memberFour committee members did not attend the meeting.the committee chairman/chairThere will be a new committee chairman next year.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + committeea special committeeA special committee of scientists was set up to study the disease.an executive committee (=that manages an organization and makes decisions for it)He sat on the firm's Executive Committee.an advisory committeea government advisory committeea standing committee (=a permanent one)a joint committee (=involving two or more groups)a steering committee (=one that directs a particular activity)a select committee (=one of politicians and advisers who look at a particular subject)a management committeeThe scheme will be overseen by a management committee.a government/departmental/ministerial committeea planning committee British English (=one that considers requests to build new buildings)Several concerns were raised at the planning committee.the finance/education etc committee
Examples from the Corpus
committee• She's been on the Church committee for 20 years.• The finance committee has decided to raise membership fees for next season.• the Senate Armed Forces Committee• The pro-incorporation committee folks argue that nobody who opposed incorporation should be appointed to the council -- once more demonstrating their exclusivity.• In the House, for example, there were 634 persons on committee staffs in 1967.• Step forward Tom Pendry, who chairs the Labour Party sports committee.• Bill Dean has been elected chairman of the committee.• They had held a site meeting on Thursday and he had turned up instead of the committee chairman they were expecting.• The committee includes people such as Elliott Shurgin, general manager of index services.• In addition, procedural reforms in the 1970s transformed the relationship between chairmen and their committee colleagues.• All high cost drugs are already rationed in hospitals through drug and therapeutics committees and clinical pharmacy services.• A welcoming committee greets newcomers to the Parkside neighborhood.on a committee• So we will go on as long as there is a man who will act on a committee.• Being asked to go on a committee may be something we tend to shy away from at first.• In the House, for example, there were 634 persons on committee staffs in 1967.• The Democratic party's demands include equal representation on committees, but they have yet to win Republican agreement to this.• He then served on committees to set up a republican government and abolish kingship and the House of Lords.• Too much time is spent on committees, teams, and meetings, according to some.• Yes, he holds the least votes on committee in Security.• These different factions have debated the issues for many years on committee after committee without resolving the problems.From Longman Business Dictionarycommitteecom‧mit‧tee /kəˈmɪti/ noun [countable] a group of people within an organization such as a government, company, or political party who have been chosen or elected in order to do a particular job, take decisions etcThey will discuss the issue at a committee meeting next month, He resigned as chairman of the committee but remains a committee member. → compliance committee → creditors' committee → executive committee → management committee → political action committee → select committee → selection committee → steering committee → see also Federal Open Market CommitteeOrigin committee (1600-1700) committee “person something is committed to” ((15-17 centuries)), from commit 